The Anomaly
by fjkemp
Summary: "Shh," Khan soothed. "If you scream they'll come in here again. You don't want that, do you?" Beth shook her head, looking fearfully at the door. "You're wondering why you should help me," he guessed. She nodded. "You know who I am. You know what I am, what I am capable of." Her eyes returned to him. She nodded again. "Then you know I can protect you." - COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

**The Anomaly by fjkemp**

**Starring:** Khan, Spock, Bones, some new faces and random members of the Enterprise crew.  
**Setting:** Begins shortly after the end of Star Trek Into Darkness  
**Warning:** Not appropriate for children. Contains spoilers if you haven't seen the movie (go see the movie!).  
**Disclaimer:** I own my original characters and plot, but I don't own Star Trek and will try not to butcher it too badly :)

* * *

**Chapter One**

Lieutenant Beth Walker stared at the H-221 bacteria samples that had been incubating for the past three days. Blue fur was beginning to grow in two of the lattice trays, but the third tray – the one treated with her synthesis of Centulan cicada venom showed no signs of growth. Finally, a positive result. It was a huge breakthrough – after five days of analysis and an afternoon spent in the sickbay following a particularly nasty cicada bite, Beth should have been thrilled, but she just stared at the plates, not really seeing them.

All of her attention was focused on the man sitting at the adjacent work area. More of a boy than a man, really. Ensign Gary Hobbs was small and fair-haired and barely out of Starfleet Academy. He must have been in his early twenties, almost ten years her junior, and he looked even younger than that. Brilliant of course – he would have to be to win a place on the Enterprise so soon after graduation – but lately his work had been suffering. He couldn't focus. Others had attributed it to homesickness and stress, but Beth knew better. Absent-mindedness was how it usually started.

Coming aboard the Enterprise had been a huge mistake. Beth had realized it too late. She had been desperate to escape her old posting, and flying into unchartered space for five years seemed like the ultimate escape, but she had been onboard the Enterprise for barely three weeks and every time she looked outside at the stars slipping past the windows she felt more trapped than free.

"Er, excuse me, Beth."

She jumped. Hobbs had approached without her realizing and he was now standing behind her, uncomfortably close. She instinctively looked at the door. It was still early. No one else would be using the lab for hours. That was precisely why she worked this shift – it guaranteed the least possible amount of interaction with other officers.

"What is it, Hobbs?" She tried to sound terse, but her voice was too high, too fast. She slipped down from her stool and stepped around it to put distance between them. She didn't want to look at him, but he was technically the only other person on her team, and as much as she wanted to leave the ship she couldn't afford another black mark on her record by refusing to work with her research partner.

Peering through her long honey-colored bangs and fidgeting with the braid draped over her left shoulder, Beth knew she looked nervous, but Ensign Hobbs was downright feverish. His face was covered in a sheen of sweat, despite the chilly temperature in the lab. His smile was almost manic. He didn't know what to do with his hands and they fluttered anxiously at his sides. "I… I… I like working with you…" he stammered, and paused to take a ragged breath.

_God, let him pass out before he finishes_, Beth prayed. She turned back to her work. "Did you see this result, Ensign?" she asked brightly, pointing to the lattice tray with no sign of bacteria growth. "What do you think it means?"

Hobbs looked at the tray like he'd never seen one before. He looked back at her, setting his jaw, and his mouth became a thin, determined line. Beth took another step back.

Suddenly, the door to the lab slid open with a hiss. Commander Spock, the Vulcan First Officer and the science officer overseeing their research, entered the lab and paused inside the threshold to survey them.

"Ensign Hobbs, are you unwell?" the Commander asked, more out of custom than concern.

Hobbs shook his head, looking briefly at the Vulcan before returning his eyes to Beth.

"I was just showing Hobbs the latest incubator trays, Commander," she said, stepping aside so Spock could also see. "I think the next test should utilize a broader range of mediums for the bacteria, to rule out a reaction with the medium causing a false positive."

"This is a good result, Lieutenant," Spock praised her, "I look forward to reading your report." He turned to Hobbs, "What about your synthetic anti-venom, Ensign?"

Ensign Hobbs gave him another brief glance but ignored the question. Beth cringed, embarrassed for Hobbs and feeling guilty at the same time. It couldn't continue. She would have to ask for isolated lab time, or try to get Hobbs transferred so she could work alone.

"Ensign Hobbs, I think you should report to the sickbay," Spock said, "You are very pale and appear to have lost a considerable amount of weight since we left Earth."

Beth nodded in agreement, trying not to look relieved. "Yes, Hobbs, you should get yourself checked out. Maybe take some time off."

Hobbs just stared, dumbly mimicking her nod.

"Ensign?" Spock enquired.

Hobbs snapped out of his stupor. "Get out!" he suddenly shouted at Spock. "Leave us alone!"

Beth jumped, but Spock just raised a single dark eyebrow and looked from Hobbs to Beth and back to Hobbs again.

"Go, Gary," Beth said softly to him, touching his shoulder and feeling him shudder when she did. The look he gave her was hurt and confused.

"Okay," he finally said, and he turned and walked out of the lab without a backward glance at the samples and equipment left out at his work area. Beth went to put them away, and Spock followed, his eyebrows knitted together with something like to worry.

"Hobbs will be fine," Beth assured him quickly. "He's been working very hard, putting in extra time."

"And yet he has little to show for his work," Spock observed.

Beth shrugged. "But he has wonderful insights on synthetic serums. I think he would be invaluable to Dr. McCoy's team that brought the crystalline spiders back from Centula."

Spock's dark eyes glinted. "It is curious that you praise Ensign Hobbs but no longer wish to work with him."

"I'm just thinking of his future, Commander."

"As am I, Lieutenant. Ensign Hobbs may not be suited to life onboard a starship. He is already displaying signs of instability; to take him on a five year mission is a risk."

"No sir, I'm sure he just needs to adjust."

Spock ignored the comment. "As the officer working closest with Hobbs I would like a report of your observations of his behavior since we left Earth."

"You want me to rat on my partner?"

"A partner you no longer want to work with."

Beth looked at her feet. She wanted Hobbs to be on another team for his own good, not hers. She couldn't let him get kicked off the Enterprise. He would never get assigned to another starship; it could ruin his career.

"Unless you have… personal reasons to be biased in your report?" The Commander suggested delicately. Beth shook her head. He continued. "There is a medical outpost in sector thirty-five-K. It is the last Starfleet space station before we leave Federation space and we are planning to stop in two days to participate in a series of conferences and deliver a fleet of medevac shuttles. It will be our last opportunity to transfer crew members off the Enterprise."

Beth nodded. "I understand, Commander."

"Can I rely on you for an accurate account of Ensign Hobbs's behavior?"

She looked up at the Vulcan, wondering if he could read the emotions on her face. She tried to sound cool but her voice was betraying her again. "I would actually like to request to be transferred off the Enterprise when we reach the space station."

There. Done. It was for the best.

Spock tilted his head to one side, narrowing his eyes, trying to compute her request. "Explain, Lieutenant."

"I believe that I am not suited to life onboard a starship," Beth said, repeating his words. "I think I should return to Centula and continue the cataloging we started there."

"Lieutenant Walker, I do not agree that manning an under-equipped research station on an abandoned planet is a logical use of your training or talents."

"Thank you, Commander, but…"

"You are assigned to the Enterprise because we require a specific number of science officers. You cannot commit to such a mission and then change your mind because you would rather be doing something else."

"No, it isn't that," she said quickly.

The Vulcan stepped forward and Beth fought the urge to back away from him and even turned up her face to look him in the eyes. He was a Vulcan, she reminded herself. He was different.

Spock continued, apparently oblivious to her internal struggle. "When the Joint Leadership committee reviewed your application, it was I who convinced the other members to consider you. Many were concerned that you had not remained in a position for longer than six months. They suspected you might be unstable. 'Flighty' was the word one committee member used. But I believed your broad range of experience made you an ideal candidate for this type of exploratory mission. Some were concerned that you have been with Starfleet for eight years and are still a junior-grade Lieutenant. I thought you just needed… the right opportunity. Your work is excellent, Walker, your hypotheses inspired, your conclusions logical and insightful. You could be recommended for promotion within the year if you continue in this manner."

Beth didn't know what to say. She trusted Commander Spock, and liked him very much, perhaps too much for her own good. She had joined Starfleet to do something good with her life, maybe even something important. Spock's words almost made her believe it was still possible. "Can I work on my own for a while?" she asked, knowing she had no right to request it. "Or maybe choose my next team?" There were two other female science officers working in Toxicology, maybe if she worked with them…

The communicator attached to Spock's belt chirped. He flipped it open. "Spock here."

"You'd better come down to sickbay, Commander," came the gravelly voice of Dr. McCoy.

"Is it Hobbs?" Beth whispered, feeling sick. If he'd done something stupid…

Spock lifted the communicator to his pointy left ear, switching it to private mode. Beth didn't hear the other end of the conversation, but a few moments later Spock's eyebrows raised in surprise. "I'll come now," he said, and turned back to Beth. "I won't accept your resignation, Lieutenant. We will discuss it more tonight when you start your shift."

"Aye, Commander," Beth said.

"And I want your report on Hobbs."

* * *

Moments later, in sickbay, Spock looked down at young Ensign Hobbs lying unconscious on a gurney. Hobbs looked more like a sleeping child than a Starfleet officer.

"He damn near ripped my head off when I took a saliva swab," Dr. McCoy said, coming up from behind Spock and rubbing a swollen lump on his cheek. "When we put him in restraints he started screaming like a wild animal."

"Hobbs has been increasingly unpredictable," Spock concurred.

"You don't say. We had to sedate him just to get a blood sample."

A medical tablet lay on the gurney beside Hobbs. McCoy picked it up and started to scan the screen.

"What are your conclusions?" Spock asked.

"Well, give me a minute, I'm a doctor, not a psychic." After a few moments the doctor looked up at Spock. "What kind of experiments are you running down in toxicology?"

"Experiments?"

"Hobbs has more testosterone in his system than a dozen teenage boys. It's off the charts. His oxytocin levels are just about the lowest I've ever seen."

Spock frowned at the doctor.

"It's responsible for that warm and fuzzy feeling you get after… ." McCoy rolled his eyes. "Look who I'm talking to."

"I know what oxytocin is, Doctor. It is also associated with feelings of empathy and generosity. Are you implying the Ensign's hormones are being affected by his work?"

"Possibly. What about the rest of your team? Any unusual behavior?"

Spock thought for a moment. "Lieutenant Walker works with Hobbs. She asked to resign from her post today."

"Walker?" McCoy gave a dry laugh. "I told you she was flighty."

"She seemed emotional, but not unstable. Perhaps Hobbs has been upsetting her."

"Perhaps, but we should test her as well, and any other crew using your lab, in case it's environmental. I know I've seen blood work like this before," McCoy said thoughtfully, and he suddenly clamped a hand on Spock's shoulder. "Khan!"

Spock's heart involuntarily sped up at the mention of the name and he suppressed a reflexive urge to grab McCoy's hand and twist it violently behind his back. Surprised by his own reaction, Spock took a moment to calm himself as the doctor went to the computer and retrieved Khan's medical records.

"Testosterone levels and oxytocin are on par with Hobbs," McCoy said. He smirked at Spock, "Super aggression, zero empathy. You starting an army or something?"

Spock was unsure if McCoy expected an answer, but the doctor continued. "This is different. Hobbs' dopamine and norepinephrine levels are through the roof but Khan's were non-existent."

"They are neuro-transmitters associated with memory, reinforcement and reward-seeking behavior."

"And love. Pleasure. Several narcotics increase these levels. They are highly addictive and could partially explain Hobbs's pattern of behavior."

Spock considered it. "Your hypothesis is logical."

"Well, thank you very much, but the toxicology report on Hobbs's blood shows no sign of any known drug in his system."

"Then perhaps it is unknown." The Ensign had a talent for synthesizing serums. Spock wondered if he had been developing a new narcotic in the toxicology lab. It would explain why he'd made so little progress on his assigned work.

"You'd better hope not. Do you know what an untraceable drug can do in an enclosed community like a starship crew?"

Spock nodded, but he couldn't understand why a bright young Ensign would lay waste to his career and his own mind with drugs. Still, it was the most logical answer. He would have to find out the truth before the Enterprise reached the space station in sector thirty-five-K, or the Enterprise's entire mission could be compromised.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Khan forced one hundred percent of his conscious mind to concentrate on shutting down his peripheral nervous system. It was easy not to react to the voices, the beeping machines, the rough man-handling as his body was placed onto an ice-cold table, but once he felt the searing heat of the surgical laser on his skin, he knew it would take everything in him to convince the Starfleet doctors he was still unconscious.

"His heart rate it slightly elevated," a female voice announced. She sounded close. He could reach out and grab her, break her neck or take her hostage. Instead, he redoubled his efforts to remain calm.

"Should we increase the dosage?" she asked someone else. Another doctor. Khan could hear three people breathing in the room, besides the female. Two were close, hovering by his side, he could feel the heat of their bodies on his skin. Who was in charge? It would be whoever answered the female voice.

"Just keep an eye on the monitor," a male voice said. Not human – the vibrations in his voice were too far apart. Probably an Ardanan. No threat there.

Khan felt the pain of the laser ebb away as he won control of his mind. The cut was not deep. They were just taking tissue samples, it would be over soon.

He needed to find out where they were. He'd been awake for four hours and had so far figured out it was a medical facility, or the medical section of a larger installation. Not the Enterprise, though that was the last place he remembered being after that Vulcan half breed had dragged him back to the ship. This air was cooler and smelled different from any ship he'd ever been on, but the air was processed, cleaned and recycled, so they were not on the surface of an oxygen-rich planet. Khan didn't think they were on a planet at all – the gravity was definitely artificial, so they must be in an orbiting station, or a deep space outpost. Probably the latter. After Khan's previous escape and the ensuing chaos, no one would risk thawing him again unless they thought they were taking every precaution to keep him away from the general population.

He needed to know what their plans were. It would be harder to escape this time. He would have to try to work with them, charm them, build trust, even help them… but first he needed to know what they wanted.

"That's enough for now," the male Ardanan said, and there was the sound of machines turning off. "Put the results through to my office computer."

"Aye, Dr. Neel," the female said. She sounded bored. She didn't know who Khan was, or she wouldn't be so casual. That could prove useful later.

A door slid open and one set of footsteps left. Four warm hands grabbed Khan under the arms and knees and he was slid from the hard table onto a gurney. He felt someone clumsily adjust the I.V. in his arm, and their hand lingered for a moment.

"I know you're awake," the female voice whispered, close to his ear. He could feel the heat and moisture of her breath on his face. It smelled of tangerines, oatmeal and brown sugar. She had just finished her breakfast, so it was morning.

Khan didn't react. He was not alone with the woman, unless she was unusually strong and had four hands. Was she testing him?

"Worth a try," she said suddenly, and giggled. There were two more laughs, both male. Ah, the woman was flirting with one of the men. Maybe both. "This guy has enough tranquilizer in him to put a Cardassian Bomoth to sleep, and Dr. Neel is still worried it's not enough."

So, Dr. Neel knew who Khan was. He was right to be concerned, the tranquilizers weren't enough. Even with the sedative leaking into his veins, Khan knew he could kill the three people in the room before they had the chance to raise an alarm or draw weapons. But he let them jostle him from the surgery, down a long corridor, up three floors in an elevator, down another corridor and then into a room. From the way the noises echoed off the walls, he knew the room was too large to be a cell, so there was probably minimum security. When the woman and two men left, and Khan was sure he was alone, he risked opening his eyes.

He was in a hospital room, in one of three beds. There was a computer in one corner, and chairs by the side of each bed. There were no windows and an opaque glass door. Khan could see the shadows of the two men standing outside. So, he was guarded, but this was definitely not a prison. That meant they weren't planning to wake him up. They were going to run tests, and those tests would get progressively more invasive, and then they would eventually either kill him or freeze him again. He didn't know how long he had until then – it could be weeks or months, or mere days. He would have to seize his first opportunity to escape, and he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate Dr. Neel, the inept female and anyone else in the process.


	3. Chapter 3

**Reminder: **Not appropriate for children.

**Chapter Three**

If Spock were more accustomed to fully experiencing his emotions he would have realized he was nervous. He had been standing outside the door to the toxicology lab for a few moments, his hand hovering over the entry pad that would unlock the door.

When he saw Dr. McCoy coming around the bend in the corridor, he quickly entered his code in the keypad. "Good evening, Doctor," he said, nodding slightly.

"Commander," McCoy replied and he held up a scanner. "I want to take some readings in the lab, if you don't have any objections.

They entered the lab. "Of course not," Spock said, but he felt a strange territorial possessiveness that made him wish McCoy would go somewhere else and scan himself. "Do you have the results of the remaining blood tests?" he enquired. It had been thirty-six hours since Hobbs had punched the doctor in sickbay and since then all of the officers working in toxicology had provided blood, saliva and urine samples.

"Yes, and none of them are like Hobbs." McCoy answered. He started scanning Lieutenant Walker's work area, taking readings from the counter's surface, her chair, the handles of the drawers and cupboards. "But two of the men have slightly elevated testosterone levels. Nguyen and McCaskill."

"They work in here immediately after Hobbs." And Lieutenant Walker. For some reason, Spock wanted to leave her name out of this. He looked around, wondering where she was. He was supposed to be meeting her, and he'd declined dinner with his girlfriend, Nyota Uhura, to be on time. "So there could be some trace environmental factors," he continued. "There is a female crewmember who works with Nguyen and McCaskill."

"Helen Cortez, yes. Her readings are normal. Same for Beth Walker."

"Good," Spock said quickly.

McCoy looked at him. "Where is Walker, anyway? Doesn't she work the graveyard shift?"

"Graveyard shift?"

"She works overnight, doesn't she?"

Spock nodded. "Yes, I helped her complete her samples while Hobbs was out of commission. We finished early this morning and she has been preparing a presentation for the rest of the biology crew. I thought we were going to review it here tonight but she appears to be late."

"Hobbs has been asking to see her. He says nothing's going on between them, but he seems pretty keen."

"They worked closely together and she is a very attractive woman."

"Does she still want to leave the Enterprise?"

"She knows she's needed here."

McCoy was looking at him thoughtfully. "We didn't get samples from you yet, did we Spock?"

"Doctor?"

"You've been spending time in the lab as well."

It was logical, but Spock still felt there was some implication or intonation in McCoy's request. "Of course. I will stop by tonight after meeting with Lieutenant Walker."

"See that you do," McCoy said, and he resumed his scanning as Spock turned and walked out of the lab.

* * *

Beth cursed, reaching for a towel and wrapping it around her burned hand. She was capable of operating sensitively calibrated equipment in the laboratory every day, why was this simple stovetop causing her so much trouble?

She knew why, if she'd only let herself admit it. She was anxious, but for once it was a good kind of anxious. She stirred the Berrtak soup with her good hand and smiled. She had really enjoyed spending the previous night with Commander Spock. They worked well together, and for once she didn't have to worry about what a man was feeling or what he would do next…

The door to her quarters trilled and Beth's smile grew bigger. "Enter," she announced and the door slid open. Spock walked into her quarters, his eyes sweeping the small room until he saw her standing in the kitchenette.

"Lieutenant Walker," he greeted her coolly.

Beth's smile faltered. "I'm glad you got my message, Commander."

"Message?"

"Yes, sir, I sent it to your inbox, isn't that why you're here?"

"I went straight from the bridge to the lab, I didn't check messages. What did it say?" He seemed annoyed.

"Just to tell you to meet me in my quarters instead of in the lab. I'm sorry if you thought I forgot our meeting, but look, I have a surprise for you." She indicated the pot boiling on the stove.

The Commander regarded it skeptically. "Another experiment?"

"Of sorts." Beth laughed. "Please, Commander, sit down." She held out a chair for him at the small table that doubled as her desk.

"Is this relevant to your presentation?" Spock asked as he sat.

Beth laughed again, hating how nervous she sounded. "Not at all. I have finished the presentation, we can review it in a minute. First, please try this."

She spooned the Berrtak soup into her favorite cereal bowl and set it down in front of Spock. He stared at it for a minute and Beth began to worry she'd got it wrong, but then the trace of a small smile began to appear at the corners of Spock's mouth. She'd never seen him smile before and she stared like an undiscovered species had just materialized in her quarters.

"My mother used to make Berrtak soup," Spock said quietly, almost to himself. He picked up a spoon and tasted the broth gingerly. His second spoonful went much quicker, and Beth grinned, watching him wolf down the entire bowlful.

"Thank you," he said when he was done. "It is very… authentic."

"Really?" Beth blushed. "I wanted to thank you in some way, for all the help you've given me, and all the encouragement."

"It's my duty as Chief Science Officer to make sure all science officers onboard the Enterprise are successful."

"But you're not just a Science Officer, are you? You're the First Officer, and I know how busy you are. I wanted to do something for you, and I remembered you mentioning once to Lieutenant McCaskill that the Vulcan dishes available on the Enterprise are… I forget the word you used."

Spock provided it quickly. "Disagreeable."

Beth laughed. "Yes, disagreeable. I'm sure it's not half as good as your mother's, but hopefully it's not disagreeable."

"Not at all, Lieutenant." He paused a moment. "May I call you Elizabeth?"

Beth felt her face flush with pleasure. "Of course, if you want to, but I prefer Beth." Spock was looking at her intently, like he was seeing her for the first time, and Beth felt like he was the first person who had truly seen her in a long time. She touched her hair self-consciously. It was pulled back in a haphazard ponytail, her bangs were tucked behind her ears, and she realized that her casual clothes were worn and probably a decade out of fashion. Still, Spock was looking past all that and she was suddenly very glad he had talked her out of leaving the Enterprise.

"Beth," Spock repeated softly.

Horrified, she realized she was staring. "There's lots more," she offered and when she reached for the empty bowl Spock took her hand, the one she'd burned, and turned it over in his own. He gently unwrapped the towel she'd used to cover the burn.

"You're hurt."

Beth didn't pull her hand away. It felt good to be touched like that. She was so afraid of intimacy that even being inspected by a doctor sent her into a panic, but this felt right. "It's nothing," she said.

"This happened tonight?" Spock ran a finger over the red welt on her palm and Beth shivered. "Sorry," Spock said, releasing her hand. "Does it hurt?"

"No, not anymore." Beth picked up the bowl and turned around to refill it. "I'm glad you like the soup."

She heard his chair push back and his voice move around the room behind her as he talked. "You said that you were sure that it wasn't as good as my mother's. I think it is very close to my mother's interpretation, but that only makes sense, considering she was also human."

It took a moment for Beth to hear his words. "I didn't know your mother was human." She set the bowl down carefully beside the stovetop. "Commander, I'm curious. If you didn't get the message I left for you, why did you come to my quarters? You could have called to find out why I wasn't in the lab."

"I wanted to see you," Spock replied, and Beth gasped when she realized he was right behind her. She turned and he was less than a foot away, his face close to her face, his dark eyes searching hers. "You should wear your hair like this more often," he said, raising his right hand and stroking his fingers along her hairline and letting them follow the round curve of her ear. "It's usually hiding your face."

Beth couldn't look away. She had wanted to be with him like this since her first day on the Enterprise. She'd wanted him to touch her hair and talk to her quietly and seriously, exactly like this. She'd wanted him to kiss her and hold her…

"What are you hiding from, Beth?" Spock asked, and he stepped closer, so his hips pushed against hers and her breasts pushed against him. He raised his other hand to her face and stroked her cheek. She gasped at the sensation, her lips parting slightly, and Spock lowered his head, closing his eyes, and Beth knew she would let him kiss her. It had been playing through her mind since that morning, after they'd spent most of the night working together. Beth closed her eyes as his lips touched hers, gently at first and then he wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck and they seemed to melt together as the kiss deepened.

After a few moments, or an eternity, or both, Spock pulled out of the kiss, sucking in a lungful of air, opening his eyes and looking at Beth. "That was… different," he said.

Beth nodded. She'd never been kissed like that before.

Spock lowered his mouth to hers again before she had a chance to catch her breath, kissing her even more intensely, pulling her against him even more tightly. His mouth moved across her cheekbone, down her neck, his lips warm on her skin, his teeth hard and thrilling. She leaned against the counter as his hands ran up and down her spine, down over her hips, back up her ribs, under her shirt…

Beth gasped and pushed him back. "Wait, no."

He stood in front of her, his mouth hanging open, breathing hard, his eyes hooded and hungry. "What's wrong?" he asked hoarsely, leaning in again. She sidestepped him, trying to regain her composure but still feeling his mouth on her skin, his strong fingers pressing into her flesh.

"I just mean it's too much," she tried to explain. "It's too fast."

He took another step towards her, and Beth was suddenly aware of how tall he was, and how a Vulcan, even a half-human Vulcan, was much stronger than a regular man.

"I won't hurt you," he promised, "I want you, Beth." He smiled, and the smile was suddenly frightening to her, like it didn't belong on his face. She had been so stupid, why had she invited him to her quarters?

"This isn't you," she tried to tell him, but he lifted her up, and in one swift movement placed her on the edge of her bed. He was kneeling in front of her and kissing her again, and his hands felt like vices locked around the tops of her arms. A low growl was emanating from the back of his throat.

Beth pushed against Spock with her hands but they did nothing more than distract him. He seized her wrists and pushed her back onto the bed. He climbed over her, still holding her wrists in one hand. Beth looked up at him, full of fear and guilt and something else she'd never felt before.

Suddenly she thought of the communicator attached to his uniform. If she could just reach it then maybe she could call for help.

She couldn't fight him off, so she had to get him to release her hands on his own. In his state she would never be able to reason with him.

Beth closed her eyes and raised her legs and wrapped them around Spock's waist. She felt him hesitate and his grip lessened. She used her legs to pull him closer and slid them up and down the backs of his thighs. She moaned softly, craning her neck to kiss him.

It worked. Spock released her hands and crushed his mouth against hers. He used both of his hands to pull her more tightly against his hips and she reached down, caressing his back, his waist, eliciting low groans of pleasure and desire. Her hand found the communicator attached to his belt and she slid it out of its holster without him even noticing. She flipped it open and Spock froze when he heard the familiar clicking sound.

Beth knew she had just a fraction of a second. "Security!" she yelled and then used all her strength to push him off her. She scrambled desperately across the bed as he lunged after her. He missed, but only just. She ducked and rolled onto the floor, trying to get back on her feet. She opened her mouth to yell into the communicator again, but there was a sudden and crippling pain at the base of her neck that forced her to drop the device on the floor. Before she could scream her whole body went numb and there was a rushing in her ears and then everything went black.

* * *

Spock stared down at his right hand like it didn't belong to him. He had just performed a nerve pinch on an unarmed officer – one of his own subordinates. It was unforgivable.

He looked down at the still body of Beth Walker and remembered their struggle, and all the things he'd wanted to do to her just seconds earlier. A strange sense of power and desire washed over him. He struggled to suppress it, felt it fighting him for dominance.

What was happening to him? Even as an undisciplined child he had never been so out of control. Nyota would be horrified, he realized with shame, and the Captain would never trust him again. He would be disgraced. He would have to leave Starfleet even if they didn't send him to prison. It was the least that he deserved.

Spock wanted to make sure Beth was alright, but he couldn't trust himself to touch her. His hands trembled at the thought of her soft skin, and the monster swelled inside him again. Without a second thought he stepped over the unconscious Lieutenant and left her crumpled on the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The guards changed every four hours. Khan could hear them greeting each other in the corridor and giving brief reports. Yes, the patient was still unconscious, no, there had been no new visitors, no alarms, no disturbances of any kind.

It was via these reports that Khan learned the names of the medical staff, including Dr. Ellie Shane, the woman who had attended his first procedure and flirted with the guards. She was Khan's most frequent visitor, checking on him every hour. At the end of each visit she would use the computer in his room, probably to update his status in the records. He listened to the sounds of her fingers touching and sliding across the screen, trying to find the patterns and deducing what her hands were doing to make those noises. She was always alone with him in the room and Khan knew that she was the key to his escape, but each of her visits only lasted between three and five minutes, not enough time to kidnap Dr. Shane let alone coerce her cooperation. He had to find a way to disrupt her routine. If the guards were able to predict her behavior, they would know the instant something changed.

So, during her next visit, Khan waited until she began entering her notes in the computer, and he reached his left hand up to the sensor adhered to his bare chest and began to peel it off. He had to move carefully to avoid accelerating his heartbeat and causing a spike on the monitor. The moment the sensor broke contact with his skin there was a beeping sound in the room, coming from the direction of the computer. Khan had expected sirens and flashing lights. The lack of precaution was an insult.

"What the…?" Dr. Shane said aloud, and as her footfalls got closer, so did the beeping sound. It was coming from her, from some device on her person.

"Dr. Shane, what's going on?" It was Dr. Neel, the Ardanan's voice, coming through a speaker.

"I'm with the prisoner now, doctor." Her cool fingers brushed against Khan's chest. "One of the electrodes just came loose. I'm fixing it."

The door opened as the beeping stopped and two pairs of heavy boots entered. Typical Starfleet security, late as usual. "You okay, Ellie?" one of them asked. The man's voice was edgy, even worried. He didn't care what had caused the alarm, or if his prisoner was dead, only that Dr. Ellie Shane was safe. How touching; a gorilla with a heart. That heart apparently belonged to Dr. Shane, and now it belonged to Khan. Any other guard would risk a hostage if it meant preventing Khan's escape, but this man would not take chances with Ellie's life. He might even help Khan to keep her safe.

"Fine, Roger," she told him. "Just a blip, don't worry. Look," and she lifted Khan's limp arm off the bed and let it flop back to the mattress. "He's a vegetable."

"I still don't like him being here," Roger replied.

"What's he done anyway?" Ellie asked. "Why'd you bring him all the way out here for treatment?"

So, another smokescreen had been created. Did Starfleet employ whole teams of people to keep track of all their lies? This time Khan was a prisoner being shipped somewhere for tests and treatment. Ellie's question was reasonable, and also confirmed Khan's suspicion that he was in a deep space station.

"Back outside, Ensign," came the voice of the second guard before Roger could think about answering the doctor.

"I'd better go as well," Ellie said. "Everyone's getting ready for the arrival of the Enterprise."

Khan's heart thumped hard in his chest. The monitors started beeping again as he recomposed himself, and luckily Ellie wrote it off to the loose electrode.

"Damn thing," she said, peeling and re-sticking the sensor on his chest.

Khan barely heard her and didn't notice when she'd left.

The Enterprise.

They were getting ready to receive the Enterprise. Was Captain Kirk coming for Khan, to transport him back to Earth? How ungracious, considering it was Khan's blood that had saved the Captain's life. It was the last thing Khan remembered before being put to sleep – the sour-faced doctor taking Khan's blood and telling him that he was finally going to do something good with his life.

Even better than the Captain, Commander Spock would surely be on-board. Fate would not give Khan another chance to avenge his crew without delivering the man who had armed the torpedoes containing their frozen bodies.

Finding Spock and killing him, destroying the Enterprise, its Captain and its crew was suddenly more important than escaping the space station. The doctor had been right. Khan was going to do something good with his life after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to everyone for the reviews and questions and guesses :) All shall be revealed! This chapter is a bit of a data dump with Beth's back story but bear with it – there might be some important clues for later!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Beth woke with a start, her hands reaching for her neck where she still felt the pain of Spock's hand grabbing her. She gasped, sitting up, and there were people all around her. She looked at Dr. McCoy and the other medical staff in sickbay. "Commander Spock," she whispered.

McCoy held a scanner next to her head. "Don't worry about him. You're safe now. How do you feel?"

"Okay. I'm okay, but I need to…"

"The only thing you need to do is rest." He put his hands on her shoulders to lay her down and Beth recoiled.

"Oh, of course, I'm sorry." McCoy turned to the young Indian woman by his side. "Dr. Jalsingh, can you please help the Lieutenant? She'll be wanting a female doctor after what she's been through."

Beth let Dr. Jalsingh lower her back onto her pillow, but she kept her eyes on Dr. McCoy.

"So, you know what happened?" she asked him.

"Yes, but you don't need to talk about it to me. You might not even need to make a statement to Security. Spock turned himself in and… was very detailed."

"Oh," Beth tried to sit up again. "Did he… do anything to me while I was unconscious?"

"No, he stopped after he," and McCoy mimed the Vulcan nerve pinch on his own neck.

"It wasn't his fault," Beth said.

"Should I get the counselor?" Dr. Jalsingh asked McCoy. He nodded and when she'd gone he continued observing her from a distance.

Beth had to make him understand. "I'm not some delusional victim making excuses, Doctor. I'm telling you, Spock attacked me for a reason."

"Look, that's not a healthy way to think about this. Can you wait for Counselor Meron?"McCoy pleaded.

"This is not a counselling matter, you know it's not. Look at Gary Hobbs."

That got his attention. "What do you mean? This is related to Ensign Hobbs?"

"Yes," Beth said, glad he was listening to her. "In my report for Commander Spock I made it clear Hobbs wasn't doing anything wrong. He… couldn't help what was happening to him."

"What are you talking about? You're not making any sense."

"I know you think Hobbs was using drugs or making drugs, but he wasn't." She hesitated. She had never told anyone before. "It was me."

The Doctor approached quickly, his careful bedside manner evaporated. "You brought drugs on-board the Enterprise? You gave them to a young Ensign? And your own commanding officer?"

"No, sir," Beth looked down to avoid his anger. "Not exactly."

When she hesitated McCoy punched his fist into the bed beside her. "Dammit, Lieutenant, there's a man down in the brig about to lose everything! What do you mean, _not exactly_."

Beth looked up, glad she wasn't crying. In a way it was better that he was angry. "I mean I didn't _give_ them any drugs. I am the drug."

* * *

Spock couldn't take his eyes off Beth Walker. He knew it was unseemly, after what he'd done, but in addition to the physical attraction that was apparently out of his control, she was a fascinating puzzle he wanted to solve.

They were seated at opposite ends of a long table in a conference room on the Enterprise, along with Dr. McCoy and two female security officers. The door at the end of the room slid open and Captain Kirk entered, last to arrive as usual, his eyes honing in on Spock and then shifting to McCoy and Beth. "Can someone please tell me what the hell is happening to my crew?" He sat down beside Beth, too close for Spock's comfort, and the Vulcan began to rise out of his chair. He stopped when he saw the two security officers turn toward him, but he continued to glare at his friend, suddenly resenting Kirk's vibrant blue eyes and easy charm.

McCoy also caught Spock's slight movement. "Jim, you'd better sit down here." He swiveled the seat beside his own so it faced the Captain.

Kirk laughed incredulously and gave Beth another look. "You radioactive or something?" But he changed his seat and Spock felt himself uncoil.

"So, you're Lieutenant Walker?" the Captain asked. He leaned over to McCoy and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. "The flighty one?"

McCoy nodded imperceptibly. "Lieutenant Walker attempted to summon Security to her quarters last night, using Commander Spock's communicator." Kirk nodded, and his eyes were suddenly serious as he listened to the doctor. "Moments later Spock turned himself in to Security, stating that he had attacked Lieutenant Walker, rendering her unconscious, and asking to be held in the brig."

"It's a mistake, Captain," Beth began, but Kirk held a finger to his lips and she fell silent.

"Go on," he said to McCoy.

"When the Lieutenant regained consciousness, she told me the attack was not Commander Spock's fault. She said he was under some kind of influence. She claimed she couldn't define this influence, or control it, but she was sure it was coming from her."

"Influence?" Kirk asked. "What kind of influence?"

"Do you remember what I said earlier about the hormonal levels of some of the science staff?"

Kirk nodded. "You thought there was something affecting them in the tox lab. Just the men."

"That's right, changing their levels of testosterone, dopamine, oxytocin, etcetera. It's a volatile cocktail that would make them more aggressive, less reasonable …"

"Less logical." Kirk extrapolated. Everyone but the Captain looked at Spock. Kirk was more interested in Beth. "You knowingly brought this… whatever it is, on-board the Enterprise?"

She nodded meekly and Spock wanted to go to her, to protect her from the Captain's accusations.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you, but you realize you're off the ship, don't you?"

"Beth already volunteered to leave the Enterprise, Captain," Spock told him defensively. "She offered her resignation two days ago when Ensign Hobbs was first admitted to sickbay, but I convinced her to reconsider. I did not know all of her reasons for wanting to resign, or I might have tried to help her sooner."

McCoy suddenly snapped, "Help her? Is that what you were trying to do to her?" A moment later he seemed to regret his words. "I'm sorry, Captain. I checked my own levels before coming here and I'm also starting to be affected by this… whatever it is."

Kirk leaned back in his chair, running his fingers briskly through his hair so it stood on end. "Well what is it? We're going to be at the Space Station in less than four hours. What do I tell Starfleet in my report? We're on a five-year mission into uncharted space. How are we going to fare in the great unknown if we can't even figure out one of our own officers?"

* * *

Beth felt lower than dirt as she watched Captain Kirk worry about his ship, his crew and his mission. She had endangered all three and he had every right to be furious.

"I'm sorry, Captain," she said. "I'm sorry to all of you."

"It's Elizabeth, isn't it?" Kirk asked.

"Beth, sir."

"Beth, what is going on? McCoy says that Ensign Hobbs became fixated on you, and my Vulcan First Officer, who's got a girlfriend that is frankly way too good for him, is in some kind of trance. Are you… I don't know… doing this for attention?"

Beth felt even worse. All those hours spent fantasizing about Commander Spock and she hadn't even known he was taken.

"I'm not doing anything, Captain, except looking for answers to the same questions you're asking."

"Then tell me what you do know. Help us understand."

Beth nodded. "I'll try, sir. It's one of the reasons I focused on biology during my fourth year at the Academy. I specialized in invertebrates because they have strong, complicated pheromones - chemical signals to attract their mates and repel predators. I thought I could figure something out."

"This has been going on since you were at the Academy?" Kirk asked. His voice had softened but his eyes remained unforgiving.

"Maybe before then but I didn't have much contact with other people growing up in Alaska. I attended school remotely, and I mean remotely. Our nearest neighbor was eighty miles away. It was just my mother and me – she didn't trust people, especially men."

"Interesting," Spock interrupted. "Do you think your mother had a similar chemical effect on the opposite sex?"

"I just know she'd been hurt in the past, pretty badly. She was afraid for me. When she saw me doing well in school and showing an interest in the Starfleet Academy, I think it was all her worst nightmares coming true. By then I'd made several friends in my remote classroom, and even had a mild romantic attachment to a boy from New Zealand. I didn't believe her stories about how terrible men were.

I was accepted to the Academy at sixteen, but she refused to let me go to California, even though I could get dispensation to shuttle home every weekend because of my age. I was so angry with her. I didn't forgive her for two years, and when I turned eighteen I left home and signed up with Starfleet the next day."

"Where is your mother now?" Kirk asked.

"I haven't seen her since I enlisted. I went home after my first year at the Academy. It had been a rough year and I wanted to see her so badly, but she had already gone." Beth didn't like to think about that. She had never forgiven her mother for leaving with no way to get in touch.

"What happened in your first year?"

"I felt like I was doing everything wrong. The classes were overwhelming. Not the work, but the people, the noise, the competitiveness. The sweet boy I'd met online enlisted the same time as me. He was in my year and we dated for a while, but he turned into a monster after a few months, skipping his classes to wait for me to come out of mine, putting all kinds of pressure on me to… do things I wasn't ready to do. When I broke up with him he seemed to think it was a suggestion instead of a decision, and he got into fights whenever I looked sideways at anyone else. He ended up failing his first semester and had to wait two years to reapply.

There were others over the next year, but every girl I talked to had a similar story about _that guy_ who'd turned out to be the biggest creep in the galaxy. I thought it was normal, I thought men were just as bad as my mother had always said."

"Did any of them hurt you?" Spock asked, and Beth noticed he'd clenched both of his hands into fists.

"No," she told him, wondering if that made it harder to reconcile what he'd done. "There were some bad… but no, I was lucky. The first few times I filed complaints but after a while you get a reputation. It took two more years for me to realize the pattern was just too predictable to be bad luck. I tried to be scientific about it, observe and record as much as I could. I did everything I could to protect myself and those I worked with, but I couldn't leave Starfleet; the discipline of the officers and the command structure actually kept me safe, and it let me work on other planets where the species were affected much more slowly than humans. Whenever things got to a certain point I always found a way to transfer to another class or another assignment. Most of all, I kept looking for new research opportunities. I believe they are the best chance I have to figure out what was wrong with me."

"So what have you figured out?" Kirk asked. "You said something about pheromones?"

"Yes, Captain, and that is the most similar phenomenon I know of in nature, but it isn't the same. Even if I was somehow cursed with abnormally high levels of anthropines, human pheromones barely influence male behavior let alone change it, and the kinds of pheromones related to behavior would have an instant effect that would dissipate very quickly, not a prolonged effect that builds over time and presents itself even when I'm not around."

Spock leaned forward, generating another reaction from the two female security guards. "If I may," he began, "These altered pheromones, if that's what they are, appear to be metabolized like drugs or alcohol, rather than processed by chemoreception. The effects last as long as the substance is in the system."

"What did you say, Spock?" the Captain suddenly asked.

"The effects last as long as the substance is in the system."

"Before that. What did you call them?"

"Altered pheromones, but we don't know..."

"It reminded me of something you put in your report, Bones. Something about Khan."

"That's right, Jim." Dr. McCoy brought up a record on the main computer. It included a picture of a man with dark hair and serious eyes wearing a Starfleet uniform. "Khan's hormone levels were abnormal, apparently related to his altered DNA. They were similar to Gary Hobbs's hormone levels when he was first admitted two days ago."

"I don't recognize him," Beth said. "Do you think he could help me?"

"No," Kirk said with a humorless laugh, "And even if he could, he wouldn't."

Spock shook his head. "We have no reason to think Khan has any connection to Beth, Captain. She was not serving on the Enterprise when he was on-board. She was stationed in Orion while he was working with Admiral Marcus."

"It's just an observation, Spock. I'm not accusing her of collaborating with the enemy."

"And Khan's hormonal abnormalities were genetic. There is still the question of how Beth is affecting myself and the others."

"You said she gave you soup," McCoy suggested.

"I didn't put anything in the soup," Beth said quickly. "I didn't poison anyone."

"Did you have soup as well, doctor? You said you were also being affected. No, it was not the soup." Spock suddenly went quiet, his eyebrows furrowing as he leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "But I believe the soup did have an effect on me in your quarters, Beth. It brought back memories of my mother, and all of the emotions I associate with her. That opened a type of emotional floodgate. I did not realize I was being affected by you until it was already out of my control." He looked her in the eye. "I am sorry for what I did."

Beth nodded, believing him. "I'm sorry I put you in that situation."

"And I'm sorry for calling you flaky," McCoy said gruffly.

"I thought it was flighty," Beth said.

"Yeah, that too."

Beth smiled. "Thank you, doctor."

"And the captain is right. You can't stay on this ship. I want to help you, but apart from putting you in the brig, there's no way to protect you and the rest of the crew. The outpost might be able to help, and it has comfortable quarantine facilities if necessary. It was created for bio-medical research of unknown life forms. Now, your DNA says you're human, but I bet you're unlike any human they've ever seen before."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It felt good to be on his feet again. After two days of lying virtually motionless, Khan had wanted to leap out of bed, kick through the door of his hospital room and smash the heads of his guards together… but instead he moved slowly across the room, shuffling like an old man.

When he reached the computer he closed his eyes and recalled the sounds Dr. Shane had made when retrieving his medical files. Using his right hand, because her clumsy ministrations had been delivered with her right hand, he duplicated her movements. It only took him three tries to log into the medical system. It was intuitive, similar to the Starfleet weaponry systems he'd used, and he quickly found his records and deleted all alarms linked to his monitors.

He couldn't turn just the sensors off – that would be noticed immediately – so he took the time, one ear always on the door, to tamper with the signals and put them in a loop so they recorded a constant, even reading. Clenching his fists, Khan let his heart speed up, let himself feel all of the anger and frustration and anticipation he'd been suppressing for two days. The monitor blinked at him placidly, showing no sign of excitement.

There was a noise outside – the sliding of elevator doors at the end of the corridor, one pair of heavy boots clumping loudly. It was too early for replacement guards, and they always came in pairs anyway. Had the Enterprise arrived?

But there was something else; a second pair of shoes on the floor, moving unevenly, quietly, almost apologetically. No, it wasn't a pair of shoes, it was too muffled. Maybe slippers. Another patient? Another prisoner?

Khan slid back into bed, trying to calm his breathing. This was a change and he didn't like it. For a plan to work he had to know who he was dealing with, and how to manipulate them. Whoever this person was, they had to go.

"Another prisoner for your girlfriend." Khan recognized the deep voice. It belonged to a guard named Schultz who liked to tell stories about his days patrolling the Neutral Zone even when it was clear no one was listening.

The guard called Roger – the one enamored of Dr. Ellie Shane – didn't like the newcomer either. "No one told me."

"I'm not a prisoner," the prisoner informed them. A woman. Human.

"It says here to put you in confinement while you're being treated," Schultz said.

"Quarantine, not confinement," she told him, "And I'm here for observation, not treatment."

"That's not what it says here." Schultz sounded bored. Khan was amazed the man had managed to carry on a coherent conversation this long. "Elizabeth Walker, suspected…"

"Lieutenant Walker."

"… Dangerous genetic anomaly."

"We don't know if it's genetic."

So she did think it was dangerous? The words stuck in Khan's mind. Dangerous genetic anomaly. They were the same words used to describe him in his records. Was she a member of his crew? Had one of them survived? But who? Khan knew them all and none of them had owned such an insipid little voice.

Schultz just continued, "Prisoner to be contained in ward seventeen. Welcome to ward seventeen, Lieutenant Walker."

"There must be some mistake," she insisted. "I haven't been charged with anything. You can verify with Commander Spock on the Enterprise."

So, she knew the immoral Vulcan who had murdered Khan's crew. Was it possible Spock would come to Khan without Khan lifting a finger?

"You're not on the Enterprise anymore, Lieutenant Walker."

Khan heard it – the slithering threat beneath Schultz's words. Lieutenant Walker had somehow slipped beyond Starfleet's protection. She heard it as well and fell silent.

Khan began to re-evaluate everything he knew. What kind of facility was he in? What kind of work were they doing out on the edge of space with little-to-no oversight? What went on in ward seventeen?

"Put her in with this one," Schultz said.

"With… the prisoner?" Roger asked, still unsure.

"Yeah, this is the only room in the ward with empty beds. He's another freak. They were made for each other."

No, no, no, it would not do. Khan couldn't have a pair of wakeful, watchful eyes in the room with him. She would be was worse than an alarm, and much messier to deactivate.

"What are you talking about?" Lieutenant Walker asked, finding her trembling voice again. "Who's in there? Please, you can't lock me up with a man."

"Don't worry, your virtue's safe." Then Schultz's voice dropped. Maybe he thought no one else could hear or maybe he didn't care. "At least it's safe from him."

"Schultz!" Roger bellowed. The other guard made a huffing noise but said nothing.

"Hey', I'm just kidding around," Schultz said and tried to laugh it off, but his laugh was worried. He had surprised himself. Schultz was a man used to having dark thoughts, but not used to speaking them aloud.

"I don't like this," Roger said. "And neither will Ellie."

"What's she got to say about it? The order came from Dr. Neel."

"Please, I don't belong here at all. Just let me talk to Dr. McCoy." But the Lieutenant's words were ignored. Suddenly her muffled footsteps started retreating back up the corridor. Where did she think she was going to go? There was the sound of boots chasing after her and then the Lieutenant yelped in pain.

"I don't have time for this," Schultz hissed, breathing hard as he returned. "I have to get back. We're giving the Enterprise's medical team a tour and they're already asking too many questions."

"They'll want to see me again," the Lieutenant insisted and there was a smacking sound and another yelp.

"Stop it, will you," Roger said. "She'll tell them about all of this."

"She's not going anywhere." And the door to Khan's room suddenly slid open and Lieutenant Walker was thrown inside. She landed hard on the floor, where she remained for a few minutes after the door closed and locked behind her.

* * *

Beth was too shocked to even cry. Just two hours earlier she had been on the Enterprise, and an hour after that in a lab on the space station with Commander Spock, Dr. McCoy and an Ardanan doctor called Neel.

Dr. Neel was Beth's height, with gray eyes and shoulder-length silver hair, though he looked to be only forty years old. He was regal and elegant and intellectual, but he had cried when Beth told him her story, and he had been very sympathetic and understanding to her safety concerns and need for isolation. After reviewing her records he had been keen to help her, both medically and psychologically.

Too keen.

Beth should have noticed. She was inherently suspicious, but for the first time in her life she was being honest and asking for help. She couldn't expect someone to help her if she didn't trust them, could she? She should have wondered why it was a security officer and not a nurse that was escorting her to her room.

And after all the promises of safety she wasn't even alone. She could hear the man breathing in the bed behind her.

Standing slowly, Beth looked down at the man lying in motionless in the bed. His face was familiar but she also knew he was not an acquaintance from Starfleet or her Academy days.

"Khan." The name came to her before the memory. He was the man Captain Kirk had talked about, genetically altered with the hormonal levels similar to Ensign Hobbs. Beth shivered. What was he doing here? If Dr. Neel had Khan, maybe he also had some answers, and suddenly Beth didn't want to know what they were.

Khan looked serious even while unconscious. She stared at him for a long time, feeling like the second she looked away he would open his eyes or do something she needed to see. How long had he been here? After the meeting with Kirk, Spock and McCoy on the Enterprise, Beth had read about Khan, or John Harrison, in the ship's log, but there had been no other mention of him in Starfleet's records, at least none that she could find with her security level.

Now he was in front of her, helpless, shirtless, his feet bare. He was wearing plain gray pants and there were wireless sensors taped to chest, which rose and fell slowly. Beth knew he was handsome, but he was handsome like a statue was handsome; designed to be that way and it didn't impress her.

She touched his arm, tentatively at first, poking him with a finger and then wrapping a hand around his bicep, feeling the relaxed muscles beneath his pale skin. Then she reached her hand up to his face and gently raised his right eyelid to see his blue-gray eye staring unseeing at the ceiling. She reached to do the same to his other eye and placed a hand on his chest for balance. It took her a few moments to realize that his heart was pounding fast and hard under her hand.

It was not the heartbeat of an unconscious man.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the new reviews and follows! I'm really enjoying writing this and am glad others are enjoying it as well.

Reminder: Not appropriate for children.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Khan stared into the eyes of the frightened woman. They were almost the only part of her face not covered by his hand. He had covered her mouth to block her scream, but it was smothering her nose as well. One or two minutes and she would black out from lack of oxygen. A few minutes more and she'd be dead.

He had her pinned to the bed, one arm bent behind her back. Khan leaned over the Lieutenant and held her other arm down. He straddled one of her legs and trapped it against the mattress. Her other leg kicked wildly at his ribs and kidney, but he ignored it. She was weak. Whatever anomaly she had, she was not an Augment. The disappointment barely registered.

Her whole body was arching and convulsing with panic. Her eyes, pale hazel-green, were watering and looking around wildly as her face turned blue. Khan lowered his hand so she could breathe through her nose. As she struggled for air and relief washed over her, he leaned down and spoke slowly and softly into her ear. "I know you're frightened. You should be terrified. This is a place where terrible things happen. They are going to hurt you, torture you, perform experiments and violate you…"

She struggled again, but this time it was against his words.

"You know who I am, don't you?"

He waited, watching her face. She was trying to think, to figure out the best answer.

"I know you do."

She looked at him, trying to glare, and nodded.

"Good girl. You'll need to be honest if you're going to help me."

She muttered something against his hand.

"Shh," he soothed, "If you're loud they'll come in here, and you don't want that, do you? You're wondering why you should help me." The Lieutenant nodded. "Because if you know _who_ I am then you probably know _what_ I am."

She frowned and nodded again.

"Then you know I can protect you."

* * *

Beth wanted to scream when he took his hand away from her mouth. He lowered it to her neck, ready to snap it if she gave him cause.

This criminal - this terrorist - had wiped out half of downtown San Francisco and tried to kill everyone on-board the Enterprise. She didn't believe for a second that he wanted to protect her.

But she was even more afraid of Dr. Neel and whatever else was outside the door. If Khan was going to kill her, at least he would do it quickly. The idea of being held prisoner, more and more in danger every day until finally one of the guards couldn't help himself and came to visit her in the middle of the night… maybe more than one… she was more afraid of that than dying.

"What do you want from me?" she asked Khan, keeping her voice as low as his.

He was studying her. "I want you to let everyone believe I'm in an induced coma."

She waited. "That's it?"

"It's imperative to our escape."

"_Our_ escape?"

"I'll take you with me."

"As a hostage," she guessed.

He smiled at that. "Preferably not."

"And if I don't help you? What happens if I tell them you're awake?"

Khan's smile disappeared. "Then you will be responsible for everything that follows."

Beth knew what that meant. He would use brute force to break out of their cell, killing many, including her.

"I don't want to go with you," she told him. "If we get out of here, I go back to… my ship." She didn't want to volunteer the name of her ship if he didn't already know.

"Agreed." He removed his hand from around her neck but remained over her, watching for hesitation and second thoughts. Beth shifted, trying to free the arm pinned painfully behind her back. As she rolled sideways her hip pushed against him and she suddenly realized how hard he had become. She gasped and shrunk away from it immediately.

Khan reacted to the sudden movement, his hand wrapping around her neck again. He looked disappointed. "I thought we had a deal."

Beth raised her chin defiantly, pushing her throat into his hand. "You're like every other man."

Whatever Khan had expected her to say, it was not that. His eyes narrowed for a few seconds and suddenly glazed over. "Ah." He pushed himself off her and took a step backwards.

"Whatever happens, I won't hurt you like that," he whispered, looking down at himself and then at her.

Beth didn't like the way he evaluated her, like she'd suddenly become more interesting. She sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing her shoulder and flexing her sore arm. "You want me to be honest with you," she said. "I have a rule as well."

Khan nodded. "That's fair. What is it?"

She stood, and got as close to him as she dared. She didn't have to try to sound angry because she was furious, with herself, her situation, as well as the bare-chested man standing in front of her.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Spock walked behind Dr. McCoy and Dr. Neel, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked into empty hospital room after empty hospital room. The outpost was not what he had expected. There were adequate medical facilities for hundreds of patients, but so far he had only seen a handful of them being wheeled up and down the corridors. More than bio-medical research, the purpose of the outpost was to represent Starfleet to the bordering non-Federation systems; to provide Starfleet technology and medical assistance to these far-flung planets as an act of goodwill and benevolence.

The outpost should have been teaming with patients and Spock wondered if Dr. Neel, the Chief Medical Officer, was perhaps too focused on his research and experiments to act as ambassador to the neighboring worlds. His discoveries and breakthroughs were all he'd talked about since the arrival of the Enterprise.

"That's remarkable, doctor," McCoy marveled, yet again, as Neel paused his tour to take them to a computer and show them yet another animation, this time illustrating the perfect regrowth of tissue, nerves and skin on the arms and chest of a Dramian miner.

"Thank you, doctor," Neel said, smiling graciously. His long elegant fingers brushed the silver hair out of his face and absently stroked his high cheekbone.

"I mean it," McCoy insisted. "I've never heard of anyone successfully rebuilding nerves from the epidermal layer before."

Neither had Spock. It was impossible. "Tell me, Dr. Neel, how did you manage to counter the reverse dichotomous branching?" He surmised it was easy to counter, or more likely ignore, physical reality in a computer simulation.

But the Ardanan doctor surprised him. "We just reverse engineered spinal chord signals to guide the new sensory neurons to the severed roots. Here, let me show you the effect on nociceptors." And Spock watched as Dr. Neel demonstrated this innovation on human pain receptors in newly-minted skin.

It was counter-intuitive – a leap beyond brilliant, beyond genius. It was the kind of discovery that every scientist dreamed of but could never engineer, because it was the kind of discovery that could only happen by accident, or more precisely, by the close observation of an accident.

But what kind of experiments was Dr. Neel performing on nerve endings and pain receptors and spinal chords that he could have this kind of accident?

"Incredible, doctor," McCoy gushed.

"Thank you, doctor." More preening, basking in the admiration.

Spock nodded his agreement. "What made you consider it? Surely there is a significant risk of permanently damaging the spinal chord, or over-stimulating the thalamus, leaving the patient in a state of perpetual agony?"

Dr. Neel laughed. "No, thankfully." But the look he shot Spock was a mixture of annoyance, dislike and something else. Perhaps concern? It made Spock wonder what Neel wasn't telling them.

"Where are the quarantine quarters, doctor?" Spock asked. "Are they in this part of the space station?"

"Yes, of course," the doctor answered smoothly. "But after what you've told me, you'll understand that I cannot let you see Lieutenant Walker."

McCoy nodded. "We'll accept that. You're her physician now."

"Yes, and so much more. I am responsible for her well-being _and _her welfare."

"Yes, of course," Spock said crisply, "but if we need to contact Beth…"

"Lieutenant Walker," Neel corrected him. "I will pass along any message, if I think it's appropriate."

"Appropriate?" The Vulcan asked, raising his voice.

McCoy interrupted, stepping into his line of vision. "Spock, I am your physician and I am responsible for your well-being. You need to forget about Lieutenant Walker, for your own good. Let Dr. Neel do his job."

"I want to assist in her treatment. I also feel responsible for her."

"What? Stay here?" McCoy asked. "You'd leave the Enterprise for her? And what about Uhura?"

Spock didn't know why he'd said it. Of course he wouldn't leave the Enterprise, and he couldn't think about Uhura. Even if she forgave him or tried to accept what he'd done, she would never be able to forget it. It would always be between them.

"You'd be a most welcome addition," Dr. Neel said, surprising Spock again.

He shook his head. "Doctor McCoy is right. I have responsibilities on the Enterprise."

"That's too bad, Commander Spock." Dr. Neel reached out and touched Spock's forehead with his cool fingertips. He smiled, and Spock realized it was the same smile he had given Beth before she'd been led away to quarantine. "I could really use a mind like yours."


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks again for all the reviews and encouragement :)

Reminder: not appropriate for children

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Khan listened to Lieutenant Walker's breathing until it was slow and even and he was sure she'd fallen asleep. He turned to where she was lying on the adjacent hospital bed and watched for several more minutes, to be sure she wasn't pretending.

The guards had not changed at the usual four-hour mark, and Dr. Ellie Shane had not visited Khan to update his status all day. The Enterprise crew was keeping them all busy and Khan was confident he would not be interrupted.

Careful not to wake Lieutenant Walker, he slipped out of bed and went to the computer in the corner of the room. He logged in as Dr. Shane and pulled up Walker's medical record.

There was something about her that was not right, or at least not normal. His body had sensed it the instant she'd touched him. A pulse of adrenalin had caused his heart to race beyond his control, he'd started to sweat and felt a wave of nausea rise in his stomach. Later, when he'd held her down on the bed, other parts of his body had responded as well. That was definitely not normal for Khan, for any Augment.

Khan was fully functional, and responded to sexual stimulation, but Augments had been unable to breed, even with each other, due to the engineering of their chromosomes.

As a result, Augment men did not have the primal urge, suffered by males of almost every other species, to inseminate fertile females in their vicinity. Likewise, Augment women had not felt the need to attach themselves to men to ensure the safety of their offspring. When they coupled it was for pleasure and when they married it was for companionship, and one did not necessarily go with the other.

Khan had always understood it was an advantage that Augments were different in this way. They were infinitely more disciplined and focused than humans, who spent huge amounts of energy trying to procreate, or thinking about trying to procreate.

In Lieutenant Walker's records, Khan saw that he was not the only person unusually affected by her. He was especially interested to see the Vulcan halfbreed Spock's name included in the list, though any details were curiously absent.

Reading the other cases, Khan was reminded of an incident from his past, at the height of the Eugenic wars, when an Augment leader - his name had been Gorgon - was executed after betraying his fleet to the humans. The details were never clear, but it had been rumored that Gorgon had been seduced by a human woman and turned.

The idea was ridiculous at the time and everyone had assumed it was a lie started by the humans to further demoralize the Augment factions. Human women were shadows of Augment women, in every conceivable way, and it was common for Augments to seduce humans for political secrets or military advantage, but the opposite was surely impossible.

And, yet, Khan had felt something when he'd held Lieutenant Walker in his hands and pushed himself against her. It was not merely the stimulation of her body twisting and straining against his, and it was not just the satisfaction of winning her cooperation... he'd felt the rumbling of some kind of hunger he didn't recognize, and didn't care to feel again.

* * *

Beth awoke to Khan gently shaking her shoulders. He covered her mouth for a moment to suppress her cry of shock, and when she'd looked around and remembered her miserable predicament, he lowered his hand and looked solemnly into her eyes. "They're coming for you, Lieutenant. I thought you'd prefer to be awake."

She sat up and turned her head to the door. She didn't hear or see anything, but she also didn't doubt Khan's words. He was right, she wanted to be awake.

"What will they do to me?" she asked.

"The first time it's blood and tissue. You'll get a local anesthetic. They might question you. You must not tell them about me."

Beth nodded but she was too worried about herself to worry about keeping Khan's secret.

"I don't want to go with them."

"You're safe for now, for at least as long as your ship is here."

"But it's only supposed to be docked for thirty-six hours." And she'd been in this room for at least seven or eight hours already. She had tried to spend the time well, telling Khan everything she knew about the space station, everything potentially useful that she'd observed and overheard, but after a few hours she had grown so tired that she could barely finish thoughts let alone sentences. How could she have slept when time was running away from her?

"Then we'll escape tomorrow."

"How?" Beth asked desperately, wanting to believe him, but Khan was already getting back onto his bed.

"Gather yourself, Lieutenant, they're here."

Beth stood, staring at the door. She could hear the footsteps now, saw shadows shifting behind the frosted glass. "Khan, I'm scared."

He moved more quickly than she thought possible and he was suddenly in front of her and his arms were around her shoulders. She did not fight him. She just let him hold her. It was only two seconds, maybe three, but it was something warm in a very cold place. Just as quickly, he was back on his bed again, his eyes closed, his muscles loose as his limbs splayed across the mattress.

An instant later the door to their room slid open. Dr. Neel was there with a dark-haired female doctor and two security officers, including the brute named Schultz who had threatened her earlier.

"How's the patient?" Dr. Neel asked genially, apparently intending to ignore the fact that he was holding her captive. "And how's our friend?" He walked to Khan's bedside, examining the monitors surrounding his bed. "Not giving you any trouble, I hope?"

Beth shook her head. "No." She would never have betrayed him to this psychopath, even if he hadn't promised to help her escape.

Dr. Neel smiled. "That must be a nice change for you."

Beth couldn't look at him and instead turned to the woman behind him. "Please help me, I don't belong here."

"Now, now, we're _all_ here to help you, Elizabeth. Oh, sorry, I know you prefer to be called Beth."

"Not by you," she spat. She turned back to the woman. "Talk to Commander Spock, or the Captain..."

And without being ordered, Schultz crossed the room and grabbed Beth by the arm, gripping her hard and half-lifting her off the floor. She whimpered in pain.

"Careful, Schultz," Dr. Neel scolded lightly, "We don't want to hurt our guest."

And as she was dragged out into the corridor behind the doctor, Beth tried not to imagine the word 'yet' at the end of his sentence.


	10. Chapter 10

This chapter is turning a bit of a dark corner, but I hope it is still enjoyable. Thanks for all of the feedback!

Reminder: not appropriate for children

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Khan had been wrong. She wasn't safe.

Even with the Enterprise docked at the space station and its crew walking around the corridors of the medical center, Dr. Neel was apparently unconcerned that his work – his true work – might be discovered.

"We can't afford to waste time," he explained to Beth as Schultz fastened her wrists and ankles to the operating table. "I'm afraid you've put us on quite an accelerated schedule."

Schultz refused to look Beth in the eye as he leaned over her. She absorbed his stony face, enormous shoulders and buzzed black hair lined with old scars. She tried to see him as just a man, capable of sympathy and compassion. She failed.

"Dr. McCoy's analysis of your blood and other fluids was excellent so I don't need to take new samples." Dr. Neel thought for a moment and suddenly looked up. "Unless you're menstruating, Beth?"

She turned her face and stared at the lights in the ceiling, trying not to blink and concentrating on the burning sensation it caused in her eyes. The doctor had made her change into a thin medical gown that overlapped and clipped in the front. The woman, Dr. Shane, had left with Beth's normal clothes and after a few minutes Beth knew she wasn't coming back. Shivering in the cold room, Beth clenched her teeth to stop them chattering.

"No matter," Dr. Neel continued pleasantly, "We'll find out soon enough."

Her whole body tensed, pulling against her restraints. Schultz was still beside her and placed a hand on her leg, just above the knee. He didn't need to hold her down; he just lay it there, feeling the tightness and trembling of her muscles.

"Don't touch me!" Beth shouted, kicking against her restraints to shake him loose.

Dr. Neel sighed like a father whose child refused to sit still. "Please, Schultz, let's give the Lieutenant some breathing room. I'm going to start with a psychological analysis and conclude with a full physical exam."

Schultz and the other guard fell back and stood by the wall. Beth noticed that the other guard, a lanky red-haired man, was keeping his attention on Dr. Neel, but Schultz's eyes were raking up and down her body as she lay helpless on the table.

"I don't want him here if you're going to examine me," Beth said.

"Interesting." Dr. Neel walked around the table to stand in front of Schultz. "Does he make you anxious?"

Anxious? He was terrifying. "He's enjoying this too much," was all she said.

"Interesting," Neel said again. He turned to Schultz. "Is she correct?"

Schultz looked at the doctor, confused.

"It's alright, there's no wrong answer. I'm here to observe, not to judge. Are you enjoying this?"

Schultz looked back at Beth and slowly nodded.

"Tell me what you're feeling," Dr. Neel pressed him.

He didn't answer. He seemed unable or unwilling to articulate his emotions. Beth held his gaze, refusing to let him pretend she wasn't a real person.

"Excited?" Dr. Neel suggested. Schultz nodded again. "Aroused?"

Schultz hesitated. "Embarrassed," he said quietly.

"Ah, good. Why are you embarrassed?"

"Because you're watching."

"I can understand that, but imagine that I'm not here. Imagine that it's just you in here, alone with her. What would you do?"

Beth didn't know what game Neel was playing. He was deliberately provoking Schultz into darker and more dangerous territory. "You don't have to answer him," she said. "He's crazy."

"This is my method, Beth." Neel didn't take his eyes off Schultz. "We can learn much more by observing and analyzing what happens in a real situation than by creating simulations and asking theoretical questions out of context."

"You haven't asked me _any_ questions," Beth said.

"I didn't say I was analyzing _you_. Schultz is as much a part of this as you are."

Beth looked again at the three men in the room. For the first time she noticed that Schultz was the only one not wearing gloves. "You think it's transmitted by the skin?" she asked.

"Dermal osmosis," Dr. Neel said dismissively. "Now, Schultz…"

"But that's not how pheromones work."

"It's not important right now. Think of it more like a virus."

"What do you mean, _like_ a virus?" Beth insisted. She raised her head as much as she could. "What do you know about it? About me?"

"Let's just say it's not a coincidence that you're sharing a room with the Augment."

"But… he's asleep," Beth said.

"Have you touched him?"

Beth thought of Khan pinning her down on the bed, his hands all over her face and arms. She had leaned into his bare chest just moments before Schultz dragged her away. "A bit."

"Good, good." Dr. Neel absently stroked his neck with the backs of his gloved fingers. "It can be transferred by touching objects you've touched, and in tiny amounts in the air, but direct physical contact is the fastest and strongest method. It will be interesting to see what happens when I wake him up."

"What are you talking about?" Beth asked. "What would happen if he was awake?"

"None of this is important now." Dr. Neel turned back to Schultz but Beth wasn't going to let go.

"Tell me, doctor, please. What will he do?"

"That part is unclear," Dr. Neel admitted. "We'll find out in a few days."

"But what else…"

Dr. Neel's patience was wearing thin. "You're being very selfish, Beth," he snapped.

"Selfish!"

"Schultz, help Beth remember her manners," And the large man strode over to Beth and backhanded her across her face, hard enough to snap her head sideways. She cried out in pain and shock.

"Now." Dr. Neel seemed embarrassed by the scene. He patted down his sleek silver hair and adjusted the collar of his coat while Beth recomposed herself. "I hope we can continue."

Beth felt the dangerous energy coming off Schultz as he stood beside her, closer than ever. His large hands were balled up in fists by his side. He could probably kill her with one blow if Dr. Neel told him to.

"Schultz, how did that feel?" the doctor asked instead.

"Good," Schultz answered quickly and Beth knew his reticence had disappeared.

"Fine, that's fine. Now, back to the last question. Tell me, what do you want to do to her?"

Schultz was breathing harder now. "Take her clothes off."

Beth jerked against her restraints again. She knew it was useless, but she couldn't help herself. "No," she said desperately, hearing the voice of a frightened child come out of her mouth. "Please."

"It's alright, it's alright, calm down, Beth," Dr. Neel told her, stroking her hair and making her skin crawl. He looked down at her, his gray eyes turning pink as they reflected her own breathless red face. "He won't touch you again today."

There was a grunt and the doctor glanced up at Schultz, who was glaring back at him darkly.

Dr. Neel considered him for a moment and then smiled. He turned back to Beth and began to unclip the front of her medical gown. "I think it is time to start that physical exam."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"A word, Captain."

Spock stood to the side as Kirk finished talking to a group of young nurses, all giggling and blinking widely at him, vying for his attention. When he finally turned and swaggered over to Spock, they watched him, whispering to each other behind their hands.

"What do you think, Spock?" Kirk asked, "Which one would you go for?"

Spock surveyed the women. "Captain, the Enterprise is due to leave on a five year mission in ten hours. Do you really think it's appropriate…"

Kirk nodded, grinning. "You're right, why limit myself to just one?"

"Captain, I have a serious matter to discuss with you," Spock said, turning down the corridor, hoping to lead the Captain away from the people milling around between presentations from the outpost's research team.

"Is this about Lieutenant Walker again? McCoy told me you almost resigned."

"That was impulsive – a temporary lapse in resolve – but I am still concerned that no one from Starfleet is overseeing the work that Dr. Neel is conducting here."

"What do you think he's doing?"

"I do not know, but according to the admission records, this outpost averaged 120 new patients a week up until six months ago. Since then they've only had fourteen."

Kirk frowned. "Fourteen in six months? You think Neel is refusing to admit new patients?"

"That was my first assumption, Captain, but it may be more sinister than that. Beth… I mean Lieutenant Walker, was admitted yesterday but when I looked for her record this morning there was no sign she'd ever registered."

"Why were you looking for her record?"

"I'm responsible for her being here."

"So they haven't registered her yet…"

"There are also the replicators."

"The replicators? Spock, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Everything produced by the food replicators is recorded in the central life support systems, and I looked at those records this morning. The amount of food consumed in this facility has steadily increased every month, up to this day. The number of patients has sharply declined, but overall food consumption has increased."

"So you think there are people here that we don't know about?"

"It is the only logical explanation."

"Well what kind of people? Where are they?"

Spock showed Kirk a plan of the space station on his PADD. "I took the liberty of finding out where all of the Enterprise's crew members have taken tours in this facility, as well as areas for general use and assembly." He tapped the screen and most of the diagram was highlighted green. He pointed to a dark section spanning two levels at the far end of the space station. "This area appears to be off-limits."

Kirk took the PADD and studied the image. "Ward seventeen," he read aloud.

"Yes, Captain. I believe this is where Lieutenant Walker is being held."

"_Held_, Spock? She's in quarantine. Maybe they don't want to advertise her location, but it doesn't mean she's being held."

"Dr. Neel won't discuss it with me, for obvious reasons."

Kirk nodded. "What does Dr. McCoy think of this?"

"He assumes I am still suffering the effects of Lieutenant Walker's… influence."

"Well, aren't you?"

Spock paused. "Yes, sir, I believe I am."

"It's okay." Kirk put his hand on Spock's shoulder. "You're not the first man to lose his head over a woman, although you might just be the first Vulcan."

"I was hoping you could make enquiries about ward seventeen, Captain."

"What makes you think Neel will talk to me? This is his facility, I don't outrank him."

"Perhaps if Dr. Neel is not forthcoming, you could take advantage of… other contacts?" Spock tilted his head towards the group of nurses, still watching Kirk from the other end of the corridor.

The Captain smiled. "Now, them I can get to talk. What will you be doing?"

"I will go to ward seventeen."

"You think you're going to just walk in?"

"No, Captain, but observing the level of security will give us an indication of what Dr. Neel is concealing."

Kirk nodded, but looked concerned. "Don't do anything stupid, Spock. The Enterprise needs its Chief Science Officer."

* * *

Khan listened to the guards talk outside his door. They were full of information, discussing the visitors from the Enterprise and the schedule of briefings and conferences that afternoon. Khan learned that there were sixty-two security officers on board the starship and more than half of them would be attending a conference at 16:00 in the space station. It was just over an hour away - if ever Khan had a chance to destroy the Enterprise for good, this would be it. He had been hoping Lieutenant Walker would be able to help him get back onboard, but it had been more than eight hours since she'd been dragged out of the room and he presumed she was not returning.

Dr. Neel must be interrogating her, possibly torturing her, but to what end Khan could not fathom. She would talk about him, about anything, to make it stop. He should have killed her when he'd had the chance. There were plenty of breakable objects in the room he could have used to make it look like suicide. Despite his best efforts to bond with her emotionally, she would tell them Khan was awake and had been this whole time. She probably already had and they were busy trying to figure out the best way to neutralize him.

"Here we go," one of the guards said suddenly, and Khan heard the noise of boots approaching. They were irregular, not the usual plodding march of Starfleet security officers. "Open the door," the same guard said.

There were four guards in the room. Khan struggled not to tense up prematurely. This was it, they had come to apprehend him. They were wrong if they thought four would be enough.

But then Khan heard the sound of a fifth person trying not to breathe. "Shit, what did they do to her?" a guard asked. Roger again.

Schultz answered, his voice growling and defensive. "She's fine, keep away from her."

"I wasn't going to touch her."

"You'd better not."

They left the room and after a moment Khan looked at the door. From the bulky shadow on the frosted glass he could tell Schultz was one of the two guards on duty.

"Lieutenant," Khan whispered, quietly approaching the bed in the middle of the room where the woman was curled up into herself, her face tucked behind her knees, her arms folded over her head. He tried again, remembering what Dr. Neel had said about her preferred name. "Beth. Look at me, Beth."

When she didn't move, Khan put his hand on one of her arms. It was like he'd set it on fire.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, kicking away from him and falling off the far side of the mattress. Khan looked at the door again, expecting the guards to come rushing in, but they remained at their stations, not reacting at all.

Khan walked around and looked down to where the Lieutenant had crawled between the metal frames to hide under the bed. "Beth, come out from there. We need to leave soon." He would have to get her a change of clothes if she was going to walk through the corridors of the space station and onto the Enterprise – she was still wearing some kind of medical robe. Khan noticed it was ripped in a couple of places.

She didn't move. Khan put one hand on either side of the bed frame and lifted the whole bed in the air. He carried it to the far side of the room and put it down silently, then pulled the sheet off the mattress. He returned to the Lieutenant and dropped the sheet over her body before kneeling down beside her.

"Beth, what did they want?" he asked gently. She was a wreck; barely cognizant. He only had an hour to get her walking and talking again, or he would have to proceed without her at 16:00. She was an ideal distraction for the guards, and possibly a weapon to use against Commander Spock when the time came. He didn't want to lose that advantage if he could help it.

"What did they do to you?" he asked, stroking her hair. She convulsed again, swiping his hand away and opening her mouth to cry out. Khan quickly covered it with his hand. "Please, Beth, don't bring them in here yet."

She struggled to pull his hand away but he waited patiently until she gave up. When he removed it she glared up at him, one of her eyes surrounded by dark bruises. "I've been screaming for hours," she hissed. "They don't hear me anymore."

"Come here, you're safe now." Khan gathered her up in the sheet and pulled her into his lap, sitting back on the floor and leaning against the wall. She pushed against him, scratching at his face and chest, but she barely left a mark.

Khan held her firmly, trying not to hurt her. It was important for her to trust him, to feel a real connection. He wait several minutes for her to wear herself out, and several minutes more before she relaxed into him. "Good girl," he said, rocking her slowly. "You're stronger than you think."

She'd better be, anyway, he thought. Otherwise, after everything she'd just been through, what he was going to ask her to do next would be impossible.


	12. Chapter 12

It's getting exciting! I'm having so much fun writing this – thanks for all the great comments!

* * *

**Chapter 12**

As much as she wanted to, Beth could not ignore Khan's voice. Deep and slow and persistent, it pulled her out of one dark place and pushed her into another. He told her stories of suffering – his own suffering, that of his people – and how they rose up to punish those that had hurt them. She listened to the words, clung to them, and climbed them like a ladder to find herself again.

He had given up trying to ask her what she had experienced in Dr. Neel's lab. She didn't have to remember how many doors she went through, how many guards she saw, what kinds of weapons they carried. She couldn't have told him even if she'd tried. Every time her mind slipped back, all she saw were hands and needles and eyes and mouths turning towards her…

"The only way to fix it is to hurt them," Khan told her, resting his chin on the top of her head. It felt good to be held by him. She knew it would only lead to worse things, but for now he gave her some of his strength. It was a debt she might have to repay later if she survived.

"This is a high security area," he said, rubbing her back in slow, hypnotic circles. "The sensors in this ward will be constantly monitoring for weapons discharge,"

Beth nodded. "Like on the bridge of the Enterprise."

"Yes, good, just like the bridge. When someone fires a phaser it raises an alarm. Doors lock, elevators stop working, everyone goes on red alert. Do you understand?"

She nodded again. She'd heard something like that before in a security briefing.

"The guards walk around in pairs all over this outpost. There are two outside that door right now. If I attack one, the other will fire his weapon, raising the alarm."

"What are you going to do?"

"What are _we_ going to do?" Khan corrected her.

Beth thought for a moment. "You want me to attack the second guard?"

Khan's chest shook gently with laughter. "Do you think you could disarm him?" He turned her around so she was facing him and pushed the hair out of her face so she couldn't hide. "We need to split them up."

Beth knew what that meant. He wanted one of the guards to come into their room, on his own. She could only think of one way to make that happen. "You want me to… invite…" She couldn't finish the sentence.

Khan nodded. "I'll be here the whole time. Once the door is closed, get him to turn his back to me. I won't let him hurt you. I'd kill him first. Or I'll disable him and you can kill him."

Beth waited to feel horrified, but she was just numb. "I don't want to kill anyone."

"Then you call for the other guard to help you. He'll come in on his own. He won't want to involve anyone else because he'd be in just as much trouble as his partner."

"What if one of the guards won't come into the room?"

Khan looked at the glass door again. He could see Schultz's looming shadow rocking back and forth, aching for some kind of release. "He will."

* * *

Her hand was shaking as she knocked on the glass door. Khan watched her from across the room. His heart was racing, both in anticipation of the fighting and killing, but also from being so close to Beth for so long. She was magnetic to him and he was feeling dangerously out of control. He had told her things he hadn't told anyone before, more than he'd ever cared to remember. When he'd stroked her skin it was as much for his own liking as it was for her comfort. He found himself imagining the things that had happened to her, and was simultaneously ambivalent and aroused, and angry. No, jealous. He could imagine himself touching her and forcing her… it was something he had never wanted or needed to do in his life, but now it preoccupied his mind as he watched the door open and Beth invite a monster of a man inside the room.

"Lady, are you crazy?" the other guard asked. Roger again, always with the bleeding heart.

"Get lost," Schultz snarled, giving him a hard shove. And then he was inside the room. He didn't look twice at Khan, the vegetable in the corner, which was fortunate because Khan was staring right at him. He was done pretending to be asleep, done letting these people throw him around and steal his blood and slice him open.

Now Beth had his prey inside the room, all she had to do was steer him around so his back was to Khan. She tried to keep her distance but Schultz was a skilled close-quarter combatant. He anticipated every move and soon had her pinned against the wall. "You didn't ask me in here to dance," he said, running his hands over her shoulders and down her chest.

Khan rose silently out of bed, his eyes locked on Shultz's hand as it slid under Beth's medical gown. The floor was cold and smooth under Khan's feet, the recycled air was dry in his lungs. He felt every hair on his body vibrating as he crossed the room.

"Dr. Neel might be saving you for the freak, but I knew it was me you really wanted."

Khan paused, his arms outstretched. Dr. Neel was saving Beth for him? He saw Beth's face over Schultz's shoulder. She looked frightened, but suddenly not of Schultz, at least not completely. She stared up at Khan's face as the guard roughly kissed her throat. She knew something about Khan; something she didn't want him to know. Khan couldn't think straight. What was Beth hiding from him and why did it make him so angry?

She winced suddenly as Schultz bit her neck. How dare this animal touch her! Khan grabbed his shoulders with both hands and wrenched him backwards. Schultz didn't even have time to shout in surprise. Khan brought his knee up to the back of Schultz's head as he pulled the man down. It was like snapping a stick in half. His neck broke instantly and he was dead before he hit the floor.

Khan reached for Schultz's phaser as Beth began to scream. He ran to the door and stood off to the side just as it slid open and Roger stepped through.

"What the…" was all he had the chance to say before Khan struck him in the back of the head with the butt of the phaser. The man slumped and Khan caught him before he hit the floor. He didn't want Roger's face covered in bruises – not if he was going to walk them out of ward seventeen.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Beth didn't want the phaser, but Khan pushed it into her hand and trained it on the unconscious security officer.

"Watch him while I change clothes," he ordered.

Beth's hand shook but she kept it aimed as she turned her face to Khan. "What do I do if he wakes up? You said we can't fire any weapons."

"He doesn't know that." Khan reached down to Schultz's lifeless body and began to undress it. Beth gasped and looked away, but she couldn't block out the sounds of heavy arms and legs being dropped onto the floor as they were stripped bare.

She wasn't sorry that Schultz was dead, even though she knew he was not completely responsible for his actions. She didn't have to be afraid of him anymore, and she was grateful to Khan for that.

"This one's bleeding," she said suddenly, noticing there was blood on the phaser.

Khan went to check on the unconscious man. "I just broke the skin, his skull isn't fractured." Khan wiped his bloody fingers onto the black pants he'd just put on. Schultz's red shirt was big around his shoulders, but Khan looked at home in a uniform.

"There's blood on your face as well," she told him. It must have been on his hand when he was changing clothes.

"Where," Khan started to ask. "No, just get rid of it." He moved to stand in front of her. "There can't be anything to attract someone's attention."

Beth put the phaser in her left hand and reached her right hand up to his forehead. She wiped her thumb across the smear of blood but it was already starting to dry. She rubbed it a few times and then licked her thumb to wet it before trying again. Khan's skin was hot, like he had a fever, and Beth was aware of the taste of the blood in her mouth. When his forehead was clean, Beth looked at Khan's eyes which were very close and suddenly seemed very dark. He was staring at her intently, but it wasn't the same hungry, mindless stare she'd seen before from other men.

"You look like a Starfleet officer," she said, to fill the silence.

"I ought to; I pretended to be one for a year." He took the phaser from her left hand and put it back in her right. "Keep watching him."

* * *

Spock had been observing the secured door to ward seventeen for several minutes when a dark-haired young woman walked past him. He recognized her from earlier presentations by Dr. Neel's research team.

"Dr. Shane, isn't it?" he asked, falling into step beside her.

"That's right." She smiled at him pleasantly. "You're… Commander Spock, from the Enterprise?"

"Yes." He studied her face for signs of guilt or fear and saw none. She was a woman who thought she had nothing to hide.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked. "Had enough of the lectures?"

"Dr. Neel told me about his work in ward seventeen," Spock said. Technically, it wasn't a lie. Neel had never mentioned ward seventeen by name, but it was clearly where he did most of his work. "I expressed an interest in joining his team." Another technical truth.

She seemed a mixture of pleased and surprised. "You'd rather work with prisoners than on a starship?"

Spock tried not to react to the word 'prisoners'. "I'd like to know what you think about your work." He paused to think of an appropriate human expression so she wouldn't feel like she was being interrogated. "Do you find it fulfilling?"

"Hmm." Dr. Shane stopped walking and Spock pulled up as well. "It wouldn't have been my first choice. Starfleet has trouble assigning people to these deep space outposts for a reason, but I didn't have a lot of options when I graduated from the Academy. I'm lucky to be able to work with Dr. Neel. He's at the forefront of genetic variation research. I think the work we're doing is really going to help people."

"What are you working on right now?" Spock asked her. He wanted to ask about Beth. Did the doctor know where she was? Was she safe? Instead he listened politely as Dr. Shane described other patients she was working with who had a range of gene-based disorders from immunodeficiency to schizophrenia. "Maybe we can help them, maybe we can't, but they volunteer for the research in exchange for commuting their sentences, so they get something out of the deal."

Spock had never heard of such a program at Starfleet. Many people suffering from genetic disorders would gladly volunteer for research programs and experimental treatment, so why have a program that focuses specifically on convicted criminals? "Aren't you concerned about safety?"

She laughed. "Most of them seem more afraid of me than I am of them. But there is this one prisoner we're treating for familial insomnia," she continued. "He's apparently so violent we have to keep him sedated around the clock. I know what you're thinking - why would we want to help someone like that? Well, he has an almost miraculous immune system and regenerative rate. We still don't understand it, but he could be the key to curing so many diseases. If he gets a good night's sleep in exchange, well, what does that hurt?"

There was a beeping sound and Dr. Shane looked down at the PADD she was carrying. She laughed again. "Speak of the devil."

"Is everything alright, doctor?" Spock asked.

"Yes, it's fine. It's that patient I was talking about. One of his sensors keeps coming loose. I've replaced it half a dozen times."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Spock offered.

"It's a restricted area, you'd have to get clearance first. I need to take care of it or Dr. Neel will come down personally, and he wants to spend as much time with the Enterprise crew as possible. But it's really nothing, don't worry."

"Vulcans do not worry," Spock said, "But if this prisoner is as dangerous as you say…"

"There's plenty of security," Dr. Shane assured him. "This ward is run like a prison." She started towards the door. "You'll see for yourself once you've joined the team. I'll give you the full tour." And she waved at Spock and was gone.

* * *

"What's that? What happened?"

Beth whirled around, training the phaser on the source of the beeping noise. It was coming from the computer, where Khan stood with his back to her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I think Roger needs medical attention," Khan told her, not turning around.

"You can't bring the doctor here!" Just when she was starting to feel safe.

"Are you still watching him?"

Beth turned back to the guard on the ground. He was in the same position but each time the computer beeped his eyes twitched.

"Turn it off," Beth said desperately, "It's waking him up."

"Good," Khan said. He walked over to Schultz's body and easily picked it up. Dumping it in the bed, he covered it with a sheet.

"We have to leave," Beth insisted. The beeping was driving her mad. Surely everyone in the space station could hear it. "They'll be here any minute!"

"Calm down, Beth." Khan walked up behind her and put his hand on the back of her neck. He squeezed gently. "Trust me, I'm going to take you back to the Enterprise."

And then the hand on the back of her neck tensed up, squeezing her harder.

"Ow," she said, trying to duck out of his grip.

Khan made a shushing noise, cocking his head to one side. "She's coming."

She? Beth let Khan push her into the background, and watched him kneel down beside Roger, who was starting to stir. Khan leaned over him and put his ear against Roger's chest. It looked like he was checking for a heartbeat, but it also obscured his face from the woman who stepped into the doorway.

"Oh, God!"

It was Dr. Shane, who had taken Beth's clothes earlier. Beth's eyes narrowed. She had not forgiven the woman for leaving her with Dr. Neel.

Dr. Shane dropped to her knees beside Khan. She didn't look at him twice. "What happened?"

"He slipped and hit his head," Khan said. He stood as she examined the guard.

"Roger, Roger, can you hear me?" she asked frantically, slapping the guard's cheeks and shaking his shoulders. "I think he has a concussion."

"I think you're right," Khan said.

"No," Roger said groggily. "I'm okay." He even smiled as proof. "I'm fine, Ellie."

The doctor leaned down and kissed him on the mouth. "Oh, Roger," she laughed shakily, wiping tears away from her cheeks. "What happened?"

Roger frowned. "I don't remember. I think Schultz… and that woman…" He jerked suddenly. "Where are they?"

"I'm here," Beth said, stepping forward.

They looked up at her as she lifted the phaser and trained it on Dr. Shane's chest. Her hand wasn't shaking anymore. They were going to do it. They were really going to escape. For the first time since leaving the Enterprise Beth let herself feel hope.

Roger sat up slowly, putting himself between Beth and his girlfriend. "What happened to Schultz?"

Khan came to stand beside Beth. He pointed Roger's own phaser at the couple and smiled.

"I killed him."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Beth pulled Dr. Shane to the back of the hospital room while Khan kept his phaser trained on Roger.

"We're going to change clothes," she told her, and part of her enjoyed the doctor's frightened expression.

"What's going to happen to me?" Dr. Shane asked.

"Nothing, if you help us get out of here."

There was a strangled scream from Roger and the two women turned around. Khan was kneeling on the man's chest, pulling Roger's right arm at a painful angle.

"Stop it!" Dr. Shane shouted, covering her ears with her hands.

Beth heard a sickening click and Roger stopped screaming. His face went white, making his red hair seem even brighter. Dr. Shane started to walk towards him, but Beth held her back.

"What did you do?" Beth asked Khan.

He stood but didn't turn around. "Dislocated his shoulder. The pain will subside in a few minutes, and he'll be able to walk, but he won't think about firing a phaser with that arm."

"You didn't have to do that," Dr. Shane told him. She was starting to cry. "We'll do whatever you say."

Beth pulled the woman back against the wall. Seeing Khan hurt Roger like that in such a cold and calculating way, it broke any belief she had that he was actually trying to help her. Earlier, Khan had said he would take her back to the Enterprise. Did that mean he would try to get on-board as well? Beth knew what had happened last time he was on the ship.

"He's dangerous," Dr. Shane was whispering to Beth. "He'll kill us all."

Beth shook her head. She knew Khan could hear them. "Just take your clothes off."

She kept an eye on the men as Dr. Shane undressed. Khan had his back to them and Roger was laying on his back with his eyes closed. When the doctor had stripped down to her underwear, Beth took off her hospital gown. She was naked underneath and part of her wanted to demand the doctor's underwear as well, but she just handed over the gown and picked up the doctor's uniform.

"You didn't have those bruises before," Dr. Shane said, staring at the dark marks down Beth's arms and over her hips and thighs.

Beth just glared at her, but she was starting to wonder how much Dr. Shane knew about what Dr. Neel was doing in his lab. "Just hurry up," she said.

She put on the lab coat next and felt something heavy in the left pocket. She reached in and her hand wrapped around another phaser. She looked at the doctor questioningly, but neither woman said anything.

* * *

Spock walked into the conference room and made a beeline for Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy. They were seated beside Dr. Neel and Spock pointed a finger at him. "He has her locked up with prisoners in a detention ward."

The security officers giving the briefing in the front of the room stopped talking and stepped forward.

"Dr. Neel, is everything alright?" one of them asked.

"No," Spock answered for him. "Lieutenant Walker is not a criminal. I insist that she be released immediately back into Dr. McCoy's care."

"Now, wait a second," McCoy said. "You can't come in here and accuse…"

But Dr. Neel raised a hand to stop him. "It's alright, my friend," Neel said smoothly. "Lieutenant Walker is a very dangerous woman. You said yourself that she had a corrupting influence on your crew."

"Not through any fault of her own," Spock argued.

"Until I can be sure of that, I need to take precautions, to protect my medical staff. You must understand, Captain; I'm sure you wish you could have done a better job protecting those people for whom you are responsible."

Kirk leaned forward, looking hard at Dr. Neel. "So you don't deny that you've got her locked up with prisoners?"

"Deny? What's to deny?" Dr. Neel seemed to suddenly realize that they had an audience. "Shall we continue this elsewhere? We don't need to further disrupt the presentation that my security team has spent so much time preparing."

They all stood and Kirk, Spock and McCoy followed the doctor out of the room.

* * *

Khan walked with Dr. Shane behind Beth and Roger. He kept his head down but saw everyone and everything they passed. He watched for double-takes, curious looks, signs of recognition, but there were none. Everyone in ward seventeen was fast and busy, and his group looked like any two security officers and a doctor escorting a patient through the corridors.

He kept a hand on the back of the doctor's neck, partly to remind her that he could end her life with one squeeze, and partly to monitor her pulse as they walked. Her heart was fast, but it wasn't racing out of control. She still held out hope that she was going to survive, which meant she wasn't going to try to deceive him, at least not yet. Much as Khan had expected, Roger was more worried about his girlfriend's safety than anything else. As long as Khan had control of Dr. Ellie Shane, Roger would do anything he said.

The only person he had to worry about now was Beth. Once they were clear of ward seventeen she would not necessarily remain his ally. He had taken back Schultz's phaser before they left the hospital room, and she hadn't complained or questioned him. Perhaps she believed that he was going to just let her leave on the Enterprise, or perhaps she was so traumatized by whatever Dr. Neel had done to her, she hadn't thought ahead of the immediate escape of ward seventeen.

Somehow Khan doubted that. He thought back to what Schultz had said about Dr. Neel saving Beth for Khan. Did the doctor know of some connection between them? Was Beth augmented in some way that was related to her effect on men? Did she pose a bigger threat to Khan that he realized? He thought again of the Augment leader Gorgon losing his head over a human woman and realized he should be focusing on their escape instead of trying to find some connection to Beth. She was just a means to an end. Somehow she mattered to Commander Spock, and Spock had murdered everyone Khan had ever cared about.

* * *

"This is the end of the ward."

Beth turned around to see that Dr. Shane was pointing to heavy double doors ahead on the left.

"Open them," Khan told Roger.

"I need to use my right hand," the guard said.

Beth moved to his other side. "I'll help you."

She lifted Roger's hand as gently as she could but he still huffed in pain.

"Sorry," she said.

He entered a code on the security pad and put his hand on the screen for the bio-match. The door slid open. Beth carefully lowered his hand again and went ahead of him through the door.

"Beth!"

She turned at the sound of her name. Commander Spock was coming around the corner, followed by Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy.

Beth wanted to collapse onto the floor with relief – she had made it, she was safe – but all she could think about was Khan coming through the door behind her. They would attack him and he would kill them all, including Spock, including herself.

"Wait!" she yelled, to Spock and to Khan, and to Roger who had just come through the door behind her. She pulled the phaser out of the lab coat and pointed it over Roger's shoulder. She saw Khan's face as she fired and he realized her betrayal.

"No!" he shouted as the phaser fire hit him square in the chest. It didn't stun him, he barely took a step backwards. Dr. Shane staggered though, absorbing part of the shock as it was conducted through his hand. Khan let her fall to the ground as an alarm went off over his head and the door slammed shut in his face.

Beth stared at the door and let the phaser fall out of her hand.

"What did you do?" Roger turned around and tried to pry the door open with his left hand. "He's still got Ellie!"

"Beth, are you alright?" Spock was beside her, his arm around her shoulder to steady her. "What happened?"

"The prisoner!" Roger was yelling. "She helped him escape and now he's got Ellie!"

"What prisoner?" Captain Kirk asked. He also tried to force the door open as Roger held his right hand in his left and entered his code again.

"I can't override it," he said.

"Let me."

Beth gasped as she saw Dr. Neel step in front of her. He cast a black look at her, but just for a moment. She started to back away from him, but Spock held her tight.

"You're safe now, Beth."

"No, don't open the door," she said desperately. "Don't let him out!"

"What is it, Beth? Who is it?"

"Khan," she said as the door slid open. Spock didn't question her. He knew she was telling the truth. He pushed her behind him and drew his phaser.

But Khan was not on the other side of the door. He and Dr. Shane had disappeared.

"Ellie!" Roger screamed into the empty corridor, which was starting to fill with Dr. Neel's security officers.

"Did you see anyone coming this way?" Captain Kirk asked them, the first through the door. He didn't wait for their answers, and he took off running down the corridor.

"We'll find him," Spock told Beth, but she grabbed his hand.

"Don't leave me here with him," she begged, pointing at Dr. Neel.

"I'll take you back to the ship," Dr. McCoy growled, taking Beth's hand from Spock.

"I'll be there soon," Spock promised, and Beth watched him leap through the door and take off after Captain Kirk.

"Are you hurt?" Dr. Neel asked, his face full of fake concern. "Let me see."

Beth stared at him, frozen to the spot with fear. She wanted to run, but she was shaking all over. She could barely breathe.

"Beth." Dr. Neel smiled as he reached towards her, but McCoy stepped in front of him, putting a hand firmly on the Ardanan's chest.

"That's close enough, doctor. She's not your patient anymore."


	15. Chapter 15

**Wow, I can't believe all the positive comments and reviews so far to this story. Thank you all so much for the feedback and encouragement! It's good to know you are there with Beth as she travels through these dark places :)**

**In this chapter it is revealed what happened to Beth in Dr. Neel's lab. Strong caution: not appropriate for children.**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Beth stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, trying to see the woman she'd been just a few days earlier. She was wearing civilian clothes – dark leggings and her mother's old hand-knitted cream sweater – and wondered if she'd ever be allowed to put on a Starfleet uniform again.

She gasped, whipping her head around, sure that something had moved over her shoulder. Her mind turned immediately to Khan, feeling that he was somewhere close, waiting for the moment to grab her, hurt her and kill her. It had been fourteen hours since her escape and there was still no sign of him, nor Dr. Shane, anywhere on the space station or the Enterprise. It was like they had both just disappeared into thin air, but there was no sign of transporter activity anywhere in the region. Everyone was on red alert.

The door to her quarters chimed and Beth jumped again. Maybe she should have accepted the sedative Dr. McCoy had offered – she'd barely slept the previous night – but she was too frightened of being less than conscious if, or when, something else happened.

"Enter," she said, trying to calm herself. The ship's counsellor, Meron, came into the room. She was a kind-face middle-aged woman with dark skin and short, graying hair. She wore a long white pantsuit instead of a uniform.

"Are you sure you want to talk here?" Meron asked immediately, coming to Beth and taking her hands. She looked down at the soft blue gloves Beth was wearing. "I know you've already had one traumatic experience in your quarters."

Beth shook her head and sat down on a chair. Meron sat down beside her.

"Dr. Neel has to be stopped," Beth said. "I want to tell you everything I know. I asked Commander Spock and Dr. McCoy and the Captain to join us here as well."

Meron looked surprised. "Beth, that's not necessary. I don't think it's what you need right now."

"But I have answers to their questions. Spock deserves to know…"

"You don't owe Commander Spock anything. Your first priority is to take care of yourself."

"I know," Beth said. "That's what I'm doing."

The door chimed again and Beth stood nervously. She thought of the last time Spock had come to her room, but she wasn't afraid of the memory. She was full of regret. If she'd known then what she knew now, he never would have attacked her, she never would have gone to the space station, she never would have met Khan or Schultz or Dr. Neel.

"Come in," she called out as she tugged at the wrists of her gloves. Spock was the first to enter, followed by McCoy and two female security officers.

"The Captain is in the shuttle bay on the space station," Spock said immediately. "One of the old medevac shuttles is missing. Khan might have used it to escape."

"In a medevac shuttle?" Beth asked. "Where could he go in a shuttle?"

"Class two medevac shuttles are equipped with impulse engines. He could already be on one of the neighboring planets."

"Wouldn't you have detected it?" Beth asked.

"We don't know how he got it off the space station, but we do know that those old shuttles are equipped with cloaking devices. Once he cleared the space station's shields we would not be able to detect the shuttle even if it was sitting right in front of the bridge."

"But how?" Beth wanted to know. "The Federation banned cloaking technology."

"That's one reason the Enterprise was delivering a new fleet of replacement shuttles," McCoy told her. "Up until last year some medical ships were allowed to have cloaking devices because they're not armed and they spend extended amounts of time in unfriendly space performing rescues."

"Then he could be anywhere," Beth said, wrapping her arms around herself. She remembered Khan's face when she'd fired the phaser at him. "Just waiting for us to drop our shields."

"Cloaking even a small ship takes huge amounts of energy," Spock reasoned. "Khan's logical choice would be to escape to a nearby system with unfriendly relations with the Federation. He could make contacts to assist him when he returns."

"Gentlemen, this discussion is not helping Beth," Meron said, standing up beside her. "She asked you to be here, and I respect that, but if you upset her I will make you leave."

"No," Beth said quickly. She sat down again. "I'm fine. I'm glad he's gone," and she willed herself to believe it.

* * *

As Spock sat down in the chair across from Beth, he thought she looked anything _but_ fine. She had obviously not slept for days, and her tired eyes were almost manic. Her long honey-colored hair hung loose around her face and shoulders like a screen and her hands shook constantly as she fidgeted with the new gloves.

Beth must have seen him watching her hands because she held them up. "Dermal osmosis," she said. "Modified pheromones in my skin that enter through the pores in your skin and get assimilated into the body like a virus."

"Dr. Neel told you this?" McCoy asked.

"He knew all about it."

"I've never heard of it before."

"He said it's classified."

"That's ridiculous, how can a virus be classified?"

"It's not actually a virus, it just infects like one. It's a genetic corruption, classified because it was manufactured in me, or at least in one of my female ancestors, as a weapon."

"One of your ancestors?" Spock asked. "When did this happen?"

"I don't know, but Dr. Neel said it wasn't an accident I was put together with Khan."

Spock felt a chill run up the back of his neck. "What do you mean, _put together_?"

Beth flashed her hazel eyes at him and then looked back at her hands. "He didn't hurt me. He didn't touch me like that."

"How did he touch you?" Spock asked. He was aware that his voice was raised and struggled to calm himself. The idea of Khan's cold, ruthless fingers touching Beth in any way…

"You don't have to answer any questions that make you uncomfortable," Counsellor Meron reminded Beth.

"He comforted me," she said slowly, her eyes losing focus. "After Dr. Neel conducted..." and she couldn't continue.

"Conducted tests?" McCoy guessed.

Beth nodded at him. "He synthesized the pheromone. He increased it, concentrated it, amplified it, and then he tested it." Her sentence ended with a shuddering breath.

"Beth, do you want a minute?" Meron asked gently. Beth shook her head.

"Tested it how?" Spock asked.

"Dr. Neel said he learned the most from observing real situations," Beth said.

McCoy let out a deep breath. "Dear God."

"There were about twenty of them." Beth's voice was barely audible.

"Twenty what, Beth?" Spock asked when she didn't continue.

She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears, then at Dr. McCoy and the counsellor. "I can't," she said. "I can't say the words."

"That's alright, Beth," Meron said quickly, taking Beth's hand and rubbing her arm. "There's time. There's lots of time."

"And our crew is going through the doctor's records and rooms as we speak," Dr. McCoy assured her. "There's enough to send him to prison for the rest of his life, even without your testimony. He won't be practicing medicine again."

Beth nodded, but her face was still tight with stress. "I want to tell you," she said urgently. "I want someone to know what happened to me." She closed her eyes, clenching her fist around Counselor Meron's hand.

"They were other patients. All male. They were brought in one at a time at first. Each of them were given some variation of the synthetic pheromone. Some reacted violently, some hardly at all. Some reacted quickly, others were slow to build. It was scary, but the security officers kept them under control. When all of them had gone through I thought that was it. I thought it was over."

"But what happened?" Meron asked and Spock noticed the counsellor's eyes were as wide as McCoy's.

"Then Dr. Neel wanted to see how they would react to each other. They were brought into the room in groups of three and four. The guards hung back and let them go."

"Where were you while this was happening?" Spock asked.

Beth was looking at him but was seeing something else. "I was restrained on a table in the middle of the room." Her head started to shake from side to side, slowly at first and then frantically.

"Beth?" he asked, leaning forward.

She started to scream.

Meron jumped up and shook Beth's shoulders. "Beth!" she shouted. "Beth, can you hear me?"

"What's happening?" McCoy demanded, covering his ears against the screams.

"She's reliving it," Meron said. "We'll have to sedate her."

But Spock stepped forward, pushing Counselor Meron out of the way. He put one hand on Beth's shuddering shoulder, and spread his other hand over her face. Her skin felt warm and soft but he concentrated on finding her mind and calming it with the meld.

Then he was in the lab with her, strapped to the table alongside her. A man is grabbing her thigh in one huge hand, his other hand pushing between her legs as she tries to twist away from him. Another man, his face bleeding and swollen, pulls her hospital gown open and lowers his mouth to her breast. Before he can clamp his lips on her another man grabs him from behind, twisting his head and breaking his neck, only to step over his dead body to take his place. Another man pulls down his pants and climbs on the table. He is stunned by a phaser from across the room and collapses on top of her.

Beth screams and screams, and Spock feels all of her panic and terror and hate. He wraps his mind around hers, protecting her from the memory, and absorbs it as his own.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

It had been four hours since Captain Kirk had taken the Enterprise to search for Khan and the stolen medevac shuttle. Spock had refused to join the mission. He knew his expertise would be missed on the starship, and it was even logical that aiding in the search for Khan was the best way to keep Beth safe, but if Beth was going to stay behind on the space station, Spock wasn't going anywhere else.

He stood vigil outside her temporary quarters, determined that no one was going to enter or leave without his permission. While he waited and watched, he couldn't help thinking back to the mind meld he'd shared with Beth. The emotion was something he could suppress, but the memory played over and over in his mind on a loop. He blamed himself for what she'd suffered.

"Commander!"

He turned quickly, welcoming the distraction. It was two security officers – one called Hurley, whom Spock knew from the Enterprise, and Roger, the guard who had been with Beth during her escape.

"What is it?" Spock asked.

Roger looked like he'd had little sleep, but his face was excited, almost hopeful. "We've found Khan, sir," he said. "He's in the shuttle bay."

Spock looked from Roger to Hurley. "Has he been captured?"

"No," Hurley said, "But the missing shuttle is back and the shuttle bay was sealed yesterday. He has to be inside."

"How many security officers do we have?" Spock asked.

"Including the Enterprise officers that stayed behind, forty-six."

"I've alerted our head of security," Roger added. "They're sending everyone to the shuttle bay now."

Spock nodded, it might be enough, but it might not. He remembered the way Khan had defeated the Klingon battalion on Qo'noS. He would have to go as well.

"Hurley, you stay here and watch this door. Do not let anyone past."

"Aye, sir."

He turned to face Roger. "Take me to Khan."

* * *

Khan lay himself flat against the wall of the elevator shaft, not caring that his cheek was pressed into the sharp metal edge of a badly-welded panel. He listened to the whirring of the elevator as it approached rapidly from below. The air compressed around him, he could smell the electricity and feel the vibrations in the wall. Then the sound was all around him and he counted slowly - one, two - and reached his arm out just in time to catch the bar at the bottom of the elevator as it slid past.

He dangled from it with one hand, watching the decks of the space station race by. Deck five, engineering. Deck eight, crew quarters. Deck eleven, hospital rooms. Deck twelve, surgeries. The elevator was slowing down. Deck thirteen, doctors' quarters.

Khan swung his legs back and kicked forward, releasing the bar and throwing himself against the wall. His hands scrambled for purchase on the dirty metal surface and he slid a several feet before catching hold of pipes laid flush against the wall. Taking one quick look at the elevator stopped above him, he pulled himself up and climbed into an air vent above his head.

Khan knew exactly where he was going. Ellie had shown him the plans of the space station. She had proved a very cooperative prisoner and an endless fountain of advice on how to get around the station's security systems. She and Roger had used these tricks to arrange trysts and ensure their privacy, and Ellie had no qualms sharing them with Khan, to win his favor and increase the chances of her own survival.

The vent was large enough to walk through after the first bend and Khan stepped quickly in the darkness, listening to the echos of his footsteps to know where walls and other obstructions were. He turned right at the third branch and walked twenty more paces. He felt the edge of the hatch beneath his feet and kneeled down to put his ear against the thin metal. He heard nothing besides the movement of air through the vent around him. Feeling with his hands he found the edges of the hatch and pried it upwards, warping the seal and pulling it out of the floor.

Light shone up from the room beneath and Khan saw a plush blue carpet below him. Pausing to listen for only a moment, he dropped from the hatch and landed without a sound.

The quarters were well-appointed with clean lines and cool colors. It took a moment for Khan to spot the doctor. As sleek and silver as a scalpel's edge, he blended perfectly into the décor.

But Dr. Neel saw Khan, and his face was frozen in a mixture of fear and fascination as he stared at the Augment. A drink was raised halfway to his lips and Khan could smell the refined liquor from where he stood. The only sign that the doctor was under arrest was a simple black band around his wrist that would alert security if he tried to leave his quarters.

It was the same type of device Khan had been forced to wear for a while by his old captor, Admiral Marcus, and he knew how to deactivate it.

"Greetings, doctor," Khan said, smiling across the blue carpet. "How would you like to assist me with an experiment?"

* * *

Beth stepped carefully into the large bathtub, the hot water almost scalding her skin as steam curled into her lungs. She hadn't had a real bath in years – Starfleet's junior officers were lucky if they had a private shower in their quarters let alone a tub they could lay down in. She poured eucalyptus oil into the water and stirred it with her feet. The oil mixed with the steam and she felt it soothing her nerves and her muscles as she sat down.

She wasn't sure what had changed, but ever since the session with Counsellor Meron, Spock and McCoy, Beth felt more at ease. She still remembered the things that had happened in Dr. Neel's lab, but now it seemed like they had happened to somebody else. She remembered the feeling of Spock being with her in the mind meld - she felt closer to him than ever - and wondered how he'd been affected by the shared experience.

Beth smiled, thinking of when she'd opened her eyes and seen him standing in front of her, his fingers hot and gentle on her face, his mind still lingering in her consciousness. She wondered if he would ever touch her again. Now that they knew how she affected him, maybe they could find a way to control it, together. Beth closed her eyes and sunk beneath the water.

She barely heard it, but it still made her open her eyes and raise her head out of the water - the sound of raised voices, coming from outside her door.

Beth climbed out of the tub and pulled on a robe. She walked to the door, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind her. Two men were arguing in the corridor and Beth bent her head to listen.

"Commander Spock said to keep everyone out. That includes you."

"She'd want to know. She'd want to help."

"Then wait until the Commander gets back."

"It will be too late. Ellie could be dead by then."

Beth realized one of the voices belonged to the security officer, Roger.

"It's her fault he's got Ellie," he continued. "She should do everything she can to help."

"I've got my orders."

Beth pushed the button to open the door. "You're right," she said to Roger who was standing toe-to-toe with the Lieutenant Hurley, from the Enterprise. "I want to help Dr. Shane. What's happened?"

"We've captured Khan," Roger told her. "But he won't tell us where Ellie is. He says he'll let her die unless he gets to talk to you."

"Khan wants to talk to me?"

"Commander Spock would never allow that," Hurley said.

"But he says she'll die!" Roger repeated. He was close to tears as he turned to Beth. "Please, you have to help her."

"Where is he?" Beth asked.

"In the shuttle bay still. I came back here as soon as he made his demand. I knew Spock wouldn't tell you, but you have to help her. You have to!"

Beth nodded. "I will. I'll come with you."

"Lieutenant…" Hurley began, but Beth cut him off.

"I'm not a prisoner. I can leave my quarters. Come with us if you're worried. I'll tell Commander Spock I didn't give you a choice." She turned to Roger. "Give me a moment to dress."

Minutes later, Beth was riding in the elevator with Hurley and Roger to the shuttle bay at the bottom of the space station. Her hair was still damp and she had hurriedly put on a dark green dress over black tights. She was nervous as she tugged on her blue gloves, but also strangely glad to be seeing Khan again. She couldn't imagine why he'd want to talk to her after she'd shot at him and prevented his escape, but she wanted the chance to tell him why she'd done it. She hadn't wanted to hurt him – she had done it to prevent him from hurting others. That probably wouldn't mean much to Khan, but she still wanted him to know. Beth had felt a connection to him during their time together in ward seventeen. She doubted that she would have survived without him.

When the elevator stopped, Roger led the way down the corridor and through the open doors of the shuttle bay.

"Where are they?" Hurley asked, looking around as he walked just ahead of Beth.

"They're holding him in the medevac shuttle he stole," Roger said, pointing out in front of him.

"But where is everyone? You said the whole security team was coming down here."

Roger turned around and Beth never even saw the phaser in his hand before he fired it at Hurley. "I lied," he said as the other guard dropped to the floor, stunned.

Beth turned to run but Roger lunged and grabbed her by her hair, dragging her backwards towards the shuttle.

"I've got her," he was shouting. "Now give me Ellie."

He pushed Beth forwards so she landed painfully on her knees.

"I did everything you asked!"

"Did you disable the shields?" a deep voice asked. Beth gasped, looking up. Khan was stepping down from the entrance of the medevac shuttle, his cold eyes locked on Beth's face.

"Yes," Roger said.

"And the bay doors?"

"Unlocked. Please," Roger begged. "Where is she?"

"You know what I'll do if you're lying to me," Khan said, circling around Beth but still not taking his eyes off her.

"Yes, yes," Roger said, "Please, tell me."

"Your doctor is in the last shuttle on the right." Khan gave an empirical flick of his wrist. "I suggest you take it and leave soon after us. You'll be held responsible for everything I do next."

Roger took a few steps away from Khan, and then turned and ran in the direction of the shuttle.

"But we both know who is really responsible." Khan bent his head to look condescendingly on Beth. "Don't we?" He smiled as he reached down and put his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her to her feet.

Khan looked at her face for a long time, studying it like he'd never seen it before. Still holding her by the scruff of her neck, he ran his other hand over her damp hair and down her cheek and under her chin. Beth looked up at him warily, knowing that if she moved or struggled he would tighten his grip and it would hurt. She guessed that once he started hurting her, he wouldn't want to stop.

"I missed you," Khan said, only half-mocking, almost under his breath, and in that same breath he lowered his mouth to Beth's. The kiss was not tender, nor cruel - it was a promise and a warning, a commandment. When he pulled back, barely an inch, he breathed her breath and looked into her eyes, watching her reaction. Beth was aware of the smell of eucalyptus oil and the heat of her blood moving through her veins. She felt Khan's hand tighten around her neck, just enough, as he turned her to face the shuttle door.

"Now, come inside," he said in a low voice, his lips moving against her ear. "And say hello to your friends."

* * *

**So, another change of fortune! Yikes! Upcoming chapters might get a bit graphic, but I will give warnings at the start of those chapters so no one gets a rude shock :) Thanks again for all the reviews and follows and favs!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The strap across Spock's chest was so tight he could barely breathe. He wanted to howl when he saw Khan standing in the doorway with Beth at his side, but he only had enough air in his lungs for a low, tortured moan. This was exactly what he had been dreading, and yet he knew that the fact that he'd been dreading it was what made it inevitable.

Beth froze when she saw him bound to the chair at one of the computer terminals. "No!" she shouted, "You don't need him!"

Khan had to drag her into the middle of the cabin.

"Spock, I'm sorry," she said, and began to cry.

Inexplicably, Khan pulled her against his side and wrapped an arm around her.

He smiled at Spock. "How touching."

Spock glared back at Khan, struggling to suppress his fear and loathing. "Get your hands off her."

"Interesting," came the lubricious voice of Dr. Neel from the other side of the shuttle.

Beth gasped like she'd been kicked and her hands gripped Khan's black shirt. "No," she said and this time it was a quiet prayer.

The doctor approached Spock for a closer look. "She has affected the Vulcan's ability to control his emotions."

"He's a half-human mongrel," Khan said with distaste. "Don't be too impressed."

"Let him go," Beth pleaded. "I'll do whatever you want."

"I know," Khan said, stroking her shoulder, still watching Spock.

The doctor turned his attention to Beth. "And her reaction of guilt is curious."

Khan kept one hand around Beth's wrist, but let her circle behind him to keep away from Dr. Neel. "She thinks I've brought him here to punish her. She doesn't know it's impossible to force a Vulcan, even a half-Vulcan, to feel pain."

"I feel pain," Spock told him. "But it does not impair me."

"What about her pain?" Khan asked. "Will her pain impair you?"

Spock knew it would – he could still feel Beth's fear and panic from the mind meld. Mixed with his own guilt and regret, he knew the sound of her screams would tear him apart.

Khan did not wait for an answer. He spun Beth around, bringing her wrist up behind her back. His other arm circled in front of her as he presented her to Spock. He pulled harder on her wrist, bending her arm mercilessly. Spock saw Beth gritting her teeth, determined not to cry out.

"Do you know what a spontaneous lobotomy is?" Khan asked her.

She closed her eyes and shook her head, turning pale.

"Vulcans have a the ability to control their minds and regulate their emotions, but if they experience great trauma and fail to control it, their minds have a tendency to... break."

"I've heard of it," Dr. Neel said. "In an effort to partition the traumatic memory, the brain re-routes its neurons, effectively lobotomizing itself." He approached Spock, staring in morbid fascination. "Usually leaving the Vulcan in a persistent vegetative state."

"How much trauma do you think it would take to put you in a persistent vegetative state, Spock?" Khan asked slowly and he let the arm wrapped around Beth drop to her waist. His hand stroked her hip, drifting further down.

Spock leaned forward in the chair, straining against his bonds.

"I think it's time we left," Dr. Neel said suddenly. "They're going to realize I'm gone."

Irritation crossed Khan's face for a fraction of a second before he agreed. "Pity," he said, and pulled Beth over to one of the built-in beds adjacent to Spock. He pushed her onto it and began securing her in the restraints. Dr. Neel went to assist and Beth pulled away from him, clutching at Khan with her right hand even as he fastened her left hand to the edge of the bed. "No!" she said desperately, "Not him." She looked up at Khan, begging him. "You said you'd protect me."

Khan pried her hand off his arm and held it in his own. He pressed the blue glove against his cheek, looking down at her. "That was before you shot me."

* * *

Beth stared at the ceiling, praying that something would happen to the shuttle. Maybe the shields of the space station would turn on and they would all be fried to death. Maybe the Enterprise would return early and blast them into a million pieces.

They were all quiet as Khan piloted them out of the shuttle bay doors. Then the lights inside the shuttle flickered and dimmed and a low frisson of energy filled the cabin. The cloaking device was on. The shuttle had effectively disappeared and, with it, all of Beth's hope.

"This is not your fault."

She lifted her head to look at Spock.

"Khan wants to hurt me for killing his crew," he said.

Beth thought back to the ship's logs she'd read about Khan. She remembered he'd hidden his crew in some long-range torpedoes, but it was never clear what had happened to them. Of course they were all killed. Of course Khan was desperate for revenge. It had never been about her.

"You say you killed his crew?" Dr. Neel asked, still hovering over her. Beth refused to look at him. She kept her eyes focused on Spock, who was watching the doctor.

"It is important for everyone's sake, including yours, that he does not question it."

Dr. Neel took a long time to respond and when he did his voice was subdued, with no trace of sarcasm. "Agreed."

Spock looked back at Beth. "I am sorry."

She let her head fall back on the bed and realized that in amongst the fear she felt a tiny amount of relief. Whatever happened, it wasn't her fault. The next moment she thought about how Spock must be feeling. His actions, however necessary at the time, were directly responsible for their predicament.

Maybe he could control that guilt, but for how long? Khan was determined to use Beth to tear down Spock's mental fortifications, but Beth decided she was just as determined not to let him.

* * *

**Just a short chapter to set the scene for upcoming events. Hope you're intrigued!**

**I did some research for this one and the spontaneous lobotomy in Vulcans is a real thing (in Star Trek). **

**Thanks for reading, and for all the great reviews.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Caution: ****Some graphic language. ****Definite M-rated situations as things build, including NC. **

**Otherwise, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Khan sat in the pilot's chair, looking back at the space station where he'd been awakened less than a week earlier. A second shuttle, presumably carrying Roger and Dr. Shane, was rocketing away in the opposite direction, towards the nearest life-bearing planet.

Imbeciles. Khan knew that's where the Enterprise was positioned, still searching for him. They hadn't even activated their cloaking device. It would not be long before they were apprehended, and the Enterprise would return. If the starship scanned the space surrounding the outpost for trace signatures of his shuttle, Khan could not be sure how long the old cloaking device would evade its sensors.

He would not risk finding out. There would not be many safe havens within reach of an old shuttle flying at impulse speed, but he needed somewhere to finish his old business with Spock, and lay down new plans with Dr. Neel. Khan turned to the computer terminal in front of him and pulled up a map of the closest solar systems.

* * *

Khan entered the main cabin from the cockpit, closing and locking the door behind himself.

"You haven't told me where we're going," Dr. Neel reminded him haughtily, peering out of a small porthole.

Khan ignored him and went to check Spock's bonds and then Beth's. He thought Dr. Neel should count himself lucky he was not also strapped to a piece of furniture. If the Ardanan continued to assert himself and question Khan, he might find his situation considerably less comfortable.

"We're going to Centula," Spock said and Khan turned around.

"How could you know that?"

"There are only five uninhabited planets in this sector capable of supporting life. In the direction we're moving now, Centula is the furthest within shuttle range."

"What do you know of it?"

Spock did not try to suppress his contempt. "More than you."

"We just spent two days there," Beth volunteered.

Spock looked at her. "No, Beth."

"It's a class L planet," she continued, "Oxygen-argon atmosphere. No humanoids..."

"Lieutenant," Spock warned. Khan watched curiously as Beth disobeyed her commanding officer.

"We cataloged over a thousand species of insects while we were there, and there are larger animals. Most of the planet is uninhabitable because of violent geomagnetic storms, but there is one protected region between two mountain ranges. It has dense forests, fresh water, wildlife, and an abandoned Federation research station."

"Sounds ideal," Dr. Neel said, nodding his unsolicited approval.

"If you untie me I'll show you where it is."

So, she would try to become his ally. Did she really think that would change his plans for her?

Khan went to the bed and looked into her face. She seemed unafraid as she looked back at him.

"I remember what happened the last time I trusted you," he said, and began unfastening the straps around her ankles. He held up a hand to stop Dr. Neel when he approached to help. "But you need to know what happens when you betray me."

"I can imagine," she said as he finished untying her wrists.

"I don't think you can."

Khan slid an arm beneath her shoulders and another under her knees and lifted her off the bed. She did not struggle as he carried her over to Spock and set her down in front of him.

"I wouldn't want you to miss anything," he told the commander. He enjoyed the way Spock tried, and failed, not to look at Beth. Taking her left hand, Khan peeled off the thin blue glove she was wearing. He moved around to the other side and removed the glove from her right hand.

"Doctor," he said, and Dr. Neel came to Khan's side and took the gloves. "Get me a knife."

Spock struggled against his bonds, the chair creaking under his effort. "Khan," he hissed, fighting to breathe in his tight restraints.

Beth tried not to react but she couldn't control her eyes as they flickered between Khan and Spock. Finally they settled on a spot on the wall above Spock's head. She stood at attention, clenching her jaw, trying to brace herself for whatever came next.

Khan walked between her and Spock, into her line of vision. "It will be easier for you if you try to relax," he said as he pushed her hair back from her face. His fingers traced down her neck and brushed along the neckline of her green dress. Heat was radiating from her, through his hands and arms and spreading down his chest.

"I understand why you're doing this," she said quietly, her eyes softening with tears. "I'm sorry about your crew." Khan didn't know if they were tears of sympathy or self-pity, but he found he could not look at her face any longer.

He turned to Dr. Neel, who was watching them with interest as he offered a steel knife with a long lancet blade. It would cut deep but barely leave a scar. It would hurt and there would be a lot of blood. "Hold it out," Khan said and the doctor reached out an arm, extending the blade towards Khan.

Khan turned Beth around and positioned her so that she was facing the doctor, the tip of the knife against her throat. He stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders, feeling her tremble as she leaned back against his chest. He did not know if she was more afraid of the knife or the man who held it.

"The geomagnetic storms make it impossible to scan the planet from orbit," she said in a hoarse whisper. "It could take you weeks if I don't show you where to land."

He admired her resolve, but this was not the time to pretend to make a deal. She would show him whatever he wanted when the time came. He had no intention of killing her before they reached their destination. This was merely a rehearsal of things to come – a distraction to help pass the five days it would take to reach Centula.

He gripped the material at the front of Beth's dress with both of his hands and tore it open at the neckline, ripping it down the front and pulling it off her shoulders. She gasped but still did not struggle as it fell to the floor. She was covered underneath by a white tank top and pair of thick black leggings, but the cut of her top revealed the soft, pale skin of her chest and clearly defined the swell of her full breasts. It was the most exposed Khan had ever seen Beth, or any woman for over a year – three centuries, if he counted his time in cryosleep. He was not prepared for the effect it had on him. He ran his hands up her bare arms, pulling her against him as he dropped his head and breathed deeply against her neck. The scent of Eucalyptus and soap and skin was overpowering and he involuntarily pressed his growing erection against her.

Spock let out a low growl, of ownership more than loathing or fear, and Khan suddenly wanted to know if the half-Vulcan had pawed at Beth, and if she had let him, and if she had liked it.

"This can be easy," he whispered into her ear, "Or this can be painful." His hands glided down her arms and over her hips, pulling them back against his. He couldn't remember ever being so aroused, and it wasn't the threat of violence heightening everything, nor the covetous eyes of Commander Spock watching his every move.

No, the intensity was all derived from Beth herself; the way she felt against him, the way she smelled – he kissed her neck – the way she tasted – he squeezed his hands on her hips, eliciting a low moan – the way she responded to him.

She reached up a hand, searching for him, and ran it through his dark hair. Khan closed his eyes, amazed at the gentle sensation, and relaxed his grip. As she lowered her hand again, he didn't see it wrap around Dr. Neel's hand that held the knife, and pull it towards her own throat.

"No!" Spock shouted, and it wasn't until Khan smelled the blood and heard Beth's bubbling breaths that he realized what she had done.

Dr. Neel was backing away, still holding the knife, now dripping and red. "It wasn't me," he insisted, his skin turning silvery-pale.

Khan felt Beth's neck with his hands, his fingers sliding across her bloody skin. The fool, the brilliant fool, she had betrayed him again!

He picked her up, the blood pulsing down her chest. She had nicked an artery and was weakening fast.

"Come and help me," Khan barked at Dr. Neel. He lay Beth on a bed, turning on the overhead scanner. "Doctor!" he roared. The Ardanan could not move fast enough for him.

Khan told himself he didn't want to lose his leverage over Spock, but as he watched Beth's frightened eyes fade and close, he just wanted to see them looking back at him again. If the doctor failed to save her, it would cost him his life.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

It was completely dark. Beth opened and closed her eyes a few times, but it made no difference. She wondered bleakly if she'd been blinded.

"Lights," she tried to say, but her voice croaked and failed.

"Lights," another voice repeated, unmistakably deep and resonant.

The overhead lamps were painfully bright and Beth squeezed her eyes closed, covering them with her hands.

"Half-light," Khan said.

Beth peered through her fingers at him. He was standing beside the bed, watching her intently.

"Spock," she whispered, raising her head to look around. A sharp pain pierced her throat. It felt like the knife was still lodged in her neck but when she touched it with her fingers there was nothing there, not even a scar.

"Move slowly," Khan told her. "Your artery and tissues and skin have been fused, but they're still swollen and bruised."

He helped her sit up on the edge of the bed. Her head throbbed, but she was more concerned about Commander Spock. She couldn't see him. Outside of the pool of light surrounding her and Khan and the other bio-beds, the rest of the shuttle's cabin was in complete darkness.

"We're behind a projected isolation screen," Khan said, seeing her confusion. "Spock and Neel are on the other side. We can't see or hear them, and they can't see or hear us."

"Why?" Beth asked, finding her voice but coughing and tasting blood at the back of her throat.

"It gives patients peace and quiet to recuperate," he explained. "So it's just the two of us." He smiled. "Like old times."

Beth was not charmed. "What do you want?"

"I want to know why you tried to kill yourself."

He stepped closer and she looked away from him, down at her bloody tank top. She noticed that Khan had swapped his black pants and shirt for a dark blue medic uniform and guessed that his old clothes had also been covered in her blood.

"First tell me why you saved me."

"I didn't want you to die," he said, and almost as an afterthought, "I'm not done with you yet."

Beth nodded, not surprised that he would save her life so he could keep on hurting her. "I would rather die than be used to torture Spock."

Khan's eyes narrowed. His voice was tight with resentment. "You did it for him?"

Beth nodded and looked back at the Augment. "I would do anything for him." She didn't know if she meant it, but she knew it would hurt Khan to hear it. If he was like any other man, he had formed some kind of jealous attachment to her, or at least an attachment to her modified pheromones. It would feel real to him and Beth realized that she could use it against him, maybe even distract him from Spock. Her hand trembling, she reached up and stroked his cheek. "Anything."

He froze at her touch and then took her hand in his, slowly bending it backwards until it hurt. Beth's eyes watered in pain but she did not cry out or look away.

"Do you think I need your permission?" he asked, his voice low and threatening.

"No," Beth admitted, "But I think you want it."

He looked at her for a long time. "Has he already had you?"

That did make her look away. She shook her head. "No."

"Why not?"

Blood rushed to her cheeks as she thought about Spock attacking her in her quarters, and to other times at the Academy when a boy had gotten pushy and frightened her off. "I haven't been with anyone," she said quietly.

Khan put his hands on the back of Beth's head and turned her face to his. He looked into her eyes, searching for the truth, and she held his gaze. He looked pleased. She'd known he would be. "Good."

She thought he would kiss her then. She closed her eyes and prepared herself, her stomach tightening in anticipation. It would be rough and he would take his pleasure, not caring if he hurt her, but at least she was complicit and Dr. Neel was nowhere in sight and she would not be bound and completely helpless…

"There's a sonic shower," Khan was telling her. She opened her eyes and looked over his shoulder as he turned on another light in a small bathroom compartment. "Wash the blood off and prepare yourself."

She nodded, trying to stay calm, but it was suddenly very real and she had no idea what he meant when he said she should prepare herself. She slid off the bed, letting Khan steady her as her knees buckled for a moment, and followed him through the darkened cabin to the bathroom.

* * *

Khan's heart was racing as he searched the small room for anything Beth might use as a weapon, either against him or to hurt herself again. This was not what he had planned, but it was suddenly more important than anything else. He kept thinking of Gorgon and how he might have been seduced after all, but every time Khan began to question his own motives with Beth he remembered the way Spock had growled when Khan had touched her. He told himself he was doing this to hurt the Vulcan commander, and if he enjoyed the brief encounter, all the better.

"Don't make me come in after you," Khan warned Beth before closing the bathroom door. "I won't wait forever."

When he heard the shower running he went to the edge of the projected shield and stepped through the dark barrier. Suddenly he was in the brightly-lit cabin, standing in front of Spock with the dark screen behind him, obscuring the beds from view.

Dr. Neel was standing next to Spock, scanning the Vulcan's head.

"His brain activity in his frontal cortex is elevated," Neel said when he saw Khan. "I wonder if he's trying to use telepathy to breach the isolation screen."

Spock didn't respond. His dark eyes just tracked Khan as he went to a computer terminal.

"Let me help you, Spock," Khan said, accessing the controls for the isolation screen and putting it in observation mode. It left the patients in the beds in darkness, unable to see out, while anyone outside the screen could see in. The blackness enveloping that side of the room disappeared, revealing four empty bio-beds.

"Interesting," Dr. Neel said, forgetting Spock and approaching the beds. "Where is she?"

Khan watched the doctor's face, illuminated by perverted pleasure. He didn't want this man observing him with Beth, taking notes and finding everything interesting. It was one thing when he needed to intimidate and frighten her, but now he was enjoying her cooperation Khan didn't want a slimy Ardanan putting him on edge. "Doctor, I want you to stay in the cockpit for the next few hours."

Dr. Neel turned to argue but sensed that Khan was not making a request. His grey eyes narrowed as he went to a table and put down his scanner. "Fine."

Khan entered a code to lock him inside the cockpit and then returned to stand in front of Spock. He knew the Vulcan had no idea what was going to happen, and Khan realized with a thrill that he wasn't sure either.

* * *

**So, another change with Beth taking more control of her situation! Thanks for all the reviews and the favs and follows. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Definite M-rated chapter. Lots of graphic language and sexual descriptions. If that's likely to offend you, skip this chapter and you'll be able to pick things up in the next one. **

* * *

**Chapter 20**

The steam in the sonic shower soothed Beth's sore throat and she took deep breaths that did nothing to soothe her nerves.

What had she started with Khan? What was he expecting, and if he didn't get it, what would he do to her?

And what if he did get it? What if her effect on him pushed him too far and he lost control? He could kill her, and if he did, would he just bring her back so he could do it again?

Beth ran a hand over her breasts, down her stomach and between her legs and wondered what he would think of her. She needed to please him, to convince him that it was worth his while not to hurt her. But how quickly would the novelty wear off? How long before he dragged her out in front of Spock again, showing off his prize?

She turned off the shower, shivering as the steam dissipated and cool air filled the space around her. Untwisting her hair, she let it fall around her shoulders in honey-blond waves. There was a white robe on a hook on the wall and she put it on, knowing she wouldn't need it for long.

When she opened the bathroom door she stood at the threshold for a long time, watching for Khan. She could hear him breathing and guessed he was standing just outside the doorway, against the wall, out of sight. Was he going to ambush her as soon as she came out of the bathroom, grab her and throw her on the ground?

She took a deep breath and walked forwards. Immediately he was by her side and she flinched, instinctively turning away. He didn't touch her, just circled her slowly. She kept her eyes on the floor, noticing that his feet were bare as he walked around her.

Then he stopped behind her, standing close enough that she could feel the heat of him through her robe. She couldn't control her breathing – it sounded so loud, even over the continuous hum of the shuttle's engines. Beth turned to face him, still keeping her head down. She could see he was already hard. Why wasn't he touching her? Anticipation curled in her stomach. Should she touch him? Was that what he wanted?

She reached out her right hand, her fingertips barely brushing against him through his pants when he seized her around the wrist. Her heart sank; she'd gotten it wrong.

Beth looked up at Khan's face. It was taught and serious, his blue-gray eyes dark with concentration. He was not wild and out of control as so many others had been, he was focused on her with all of his energy, all of his desire, all of his loneliness and desperation. She backed away from his intensity but he advanced, step for step, his head lowered.

Something pushed against Beth's behind - she had backed into one of the beds. It would be so easy for him to just shove her onto it and force himself between her legs. She shivered at the thought as he stopped in front of her, releasing her wrist.

Then he was still again, watching and waiting. She could feel the need emanating from him and she knew it would be better for her to offer what he wanted than have him take it from her. She reached out her hand again, laying it on his shirt, his chest. His heart was thumping against his ribcage, impossibly strong and fast. It made Beth feel weak and strange and she ran her hand up his chest, circling it around his neck and pulling him down.

The kiss was warm and deep and Beth tried not to hold back. Khan seemed to come alive as she opened her mouth to him, pressing her tongue against his lips to part them. He groaned deep in his throat and his arms wrapped around her, lifting her onto the edge of the bed as her hands ran up the back of his head, pulling at his hair to bring him even closer. It went on forever, their breaths becoming synchronized, and Beth felt herself melting into him, pushing herself against him.

And just as suddenly he stopped, leaving her panting, her lips numb and swollen, her eyes still closed and her legs wrapped around him. He didn't pull away from her but he was still again, waiting for something else.

Beth realized he wanted her to initiate the next step, maybe every step. It confused her. What game was he playing? Why was he holding back and how was he able to control himself?

She knew what he wanted next. She looked down at the cord on her robe, stroking it with her fingers. Khan's breath caught and she saw his hands twitch but they stayed at his sides.

When the cord was untied she hesitated again. The memory of being in Dr. Neel's lab was in the back of her mind, but this felt very different. She wondered if part of her wanted him to see her naked. Her hands shook with as much excitement as fear as she opened the robe, first exposing her right breast and then her left, and then as she shrugged it off her shoulders it fell open and she was completely naked in front of him.

He just looked at her, his eyes moving hungrily over her body. She was lean and pale, her breasts full, her nipples tightening in the cool air. Beth flushed under his scrutiny but didn't cover herself. Not much longer now.

When he'd drunk her in his eyes returned to her face, waiting for her to continue. She nodded to the unasked question, and took his right hand and placed it on her chest, just above her right breast. He needed no further encouragement and both his hands cupped her breasts. Beth gasped at the sensation as his thumbs grazed over her nipples, pinching and tugging on them gently. She pulled him down into another kiss, arching herself into his hands, pulling at his shirt until it came off over his head. It was so easy to do what came naturally, blocking out everything else. When he touched her she somehow forgot to be afraid.

Without breaking the kiss, Beth took Khan's hand again and guided it lower. He held it there, not moving it until she spread her legs wider, pushing her hips forward. And then he pulled back from the kiss to look down at his hand as it stroked the soft brown hair covering her sex. His jaw clenched when he felt her wetness and his fingers slid back and forth, brushing over her clitoris and moving over her entrance without ever pushing inside. She pulled him back into the kiss and guided his head down her neck and to her breasts, leaning back as he kissed and licked and sucked on her nipples.

He started to kiss lower, down her ribs and over her stomach. Beth tensed and pulled him back. He looked at her questioningly, frowning silently as his hands kept moving between her legs. She shook her head, stroking his hair with her hands so it hung over his forehead, covering one of his eyes. She didn't want him down there. It was too… real. He didn't look angry, but his eyes tightened as he pushed one finger up inside her. Beth whimpered, her head falling back onto the bed. He leaned over her, pushing two fingers inside her as he kissed and bit her neck, his thumb moving over her clitoris that was aching for release. She rocked against him in a rhythm and Beth felt the beginning of an orgasm starting to build deep within her.

And then he stopped again.

He stood upright, looking down at her, waiting with a satisfied smile on his lips as she lay beneath him, sprawled on the bed, exposed and undulating, aching for him to touch her again.

Beth sat up, licking her dry lips. She reached out and undid his navy blue pants, pushing them over his hips. She felt a tremor when she saw his penis, long and hard, perfectly upright. It took her a minute to touch it and Khan waited patiently as she stared. When she finally touched it he exhaled quickly, his stomach contracting. She stroked it lightly with her fingertips, feeling its pulse, running them up and down its length and wrapping her hand around it, stroking slowly.

He put his hand over hers and held it still, his eyes closed in concentration. When he opened them he spoke slowly, his voice heavy with desire. "I want to cum inside you."

Beth bit her bottom lip, nodding. He helped her inch closer, her hand never leaving his member. When she was in position at the edge of the bed she looked up at Khan and guided him to her entrance. He leaned over her, beginning to press forwards, his eyes moving from her face to look down between them and then back to her face.

"Start slowly," she whispered to him, laying back on the bed. He looked into her eyes as he increased his pressure more and more. Beth's whole body convulsed as he buried himself inside her in one slow and burning thrust. She cried out, grabbing his shoulders and he held himself still, letting her body adjust to having him inside her.

After a while he began to pull out and besides the discomfort Beth felt a searing pleasure deep within her. Khan withdrew all the way and immediately pushed back in again. Beth cried out as he ground himself against her, rubbing against her clitoris and making sure he was in as far as possible. He pulled back faster this time. It still hurt but the pleasure was mounting and overwhelming everything else.

His breathing was becoming erratic as he moved back and forth inside her, bending down as if to kiss her but just resting his open mouth over hers as he thrust harder and faster inside her.

Beth felt her orgasm start to build again and she moved with Khan, rubbing herself against him.

"Tell me when to cum," he panted in her ear. She looked at his face. His eyes were squeezed shut as he held himself back. He could orgasm at any moment, and Beth found the idea of it push her up to the edge.

"Now," she said, grabbing at him with both hands. "Now, Khan, do it now!"

* * *

**This will probably make people rooting for Khan pretty happy :) but what will happen if Beth finds out he was putting on a show for Spock's benefit? And how will Dr. Neel react when he finds out what he missed? Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Khan gripped the far edge of the bio-bed, his hands tearing the plastic blue covering off the mattress. It felt like every muscle in his body contracted as he came inside Beth, deep within the pulsating, wet, impossibly warm core of her.

In the following moments he could not move. His body did not belong to him. It was heavy and weak and struggling for oxygen. All he could think about was the pleasure she had given to him. All he wanted was to stay inside her.

"I can't breathe," Beth finally said, but she didn't try to push him off.

Khan raised himself onto his elbows. "Sorry." She looked at him curiously and he saw the hint of a smile cross her lips. He wanted to kiss her. He could be so gentle with her... if things were different. "Sorry," he said again, and pushed himself off her, standing too quickly and feeling dizzy.

"Are you alright?" she asked, sitting up. He wanted to believe the concern in her voice.

"Perfectly." But he was surprised by the wave of exhaustion that washed over him. He had not slept properly in days but he was nowhere near his limit. Was it the thawing process the doctors had used to revive him, or was this another effect Beth had on men - draining them of their energy? He'd thought himself mostly immune to her. Yes, he felt an intoxication when he touched her, but so far it had been well within his control. Or so he'd thought.

He picked up the robe and placed it over her shoulders, closing and tying it in the front. She looked confused as she put her arms through the sleeves, but said nothing. When he took her wrist to restrain her again she tried to pull it out of his hands.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking forsaken. He should have been glad that he'd hurt her, but all he felt was the word _sorry_ forming in his mouth, again. He swallowed it bitterly. "I cannot trust you alone."

She placed her other hand on his arm, gently drawing him closer. "Then don't leave me alone." Her smile was soft and warm as she reached up and stroked his hair, combing it out of his eyes with her fingers. "Let's just stay like this forever."

Khan knew she was manipulating him - she must have been. She knew who he was, what he was, what he'd been planning for her... and now she expected him to believe that despite everything she just wanted to be with him? No, she was just as calculating as him. She had already outwitted him twice - once sacrificing her own life to do it.

And yet... when he'd touched her, her reaction had been genuine - abandoned - more than just a physical response. When she'd pulled him deeper inside her, she had wanted it as badly as him.

Khan felt his pulse quickening at the memory, knew he was becoming aroused again. Beth noticed as well and her eyes widened, her lips parted.

"May I...?" she began, but Khan cut her off.

"Not here," he said, and he pointed to the small bathroom. It was the only place he could think of where they would truly be alone. "Go and wait for me."

She nodded and he helped her down from the bed. As he watched her disappear through the bathroom door he could feel himself becoming light-headed again.

When she was out of sight Khan picked up his pants from the floor and stepped through the dark projected screen, blinking a few times as the bright lights stung his eyes. Spock was slumped into the chair, glowering at him. Khan approached, still naked, half-erect. He knew Spock had seen everything, could probably smell her on him. It did not give Khan the satisfaction he had expected and he put on the pants to cover himself.

"Proud of yourself?" Spock asked mockingly, sensing his reticence.

Khan ignored the question as he checked the commander's bonds. They were secure, but loosening from the weight he'd lost in the past day. As he tightened them Khan noticed the armrests on the chair were bent and buckled where Spock still gripped them with enough force to warp the plastic and metal. Khan wondered if he had underestimated Spock's strength. It would not be the first time he had made that mistake.

"Why is Dr. Neel here?" Spock asked quietly as Khan leaned over him. His voice was even but his eyes shone dangerously.

"I find myself alone in the universe, Mr. Spock, thanks to you. Dr. Neel is a geneticist who finds himself on the wrong side of the Federation, also thanks to you."

Spock nodded, finally understanding. "He's going to help you engineer a new race of Augments."

"The technology has grown beyond even my comprehension."

"And you trust him? The man is sadistic. You know what he did to Beth." Khan looked sharply at Spock and the Vulcan smirked. "Or maybe she did not trust you."

Khan felt an irrational jealousy that Spock knew something about Beth that he did not.

"If you untie my right hand, I can show you."

He knew what Spock intended; he had already suffered through one Vulcan mind meld.

A third voice interrupted them. "I wouldn't advise that."

Khan turned to see Dr. Neel standing in the doorway of the cockpit, watching them with interest.

"I locked you inside," Khan said, confusion flaring along with a headache.

"These retired shuttles were offline when I was arrested," the doctor explained, smoothing his disheveled silver hair with one hand. "My security override was never revoked."

Khan frowned, angry at his own oversight.

The doctor continued. "I monitored your... coupling with Beth from the cockpit. It was most fascinating." He turned to Spock. "As were your convulsive reactions. Tell me, Commander, did you become erect at any point during their coitus?"

Spock looked away and Khan seethed that some part of the Vulcan might have enjoyed watching him with Beth.

"Interesting," Neel said, turning back to Khan. "And am I mistaken or did you ejaculate directly into Beth's..."

"That's enough!" Khan shouted. "You can do what you want to Spock, but you never mention her again. You don't say her name. You don't even look at her."

"What are you talking about?" Dr. Neel asked incredulously. "You want my help breeding a new generation of Augments, don't you?"

"That has nothing to do with her. Her mutation is different. She's off limits. You won't be experimenting on her again."

"But my dear man, why do you think I brought you to the outpost? Why else would I save her for you? She _is_ the experiment. She has been for months."

"What do you mean?" Khan asked, rubbing his forehead with his hand. Neel was making even less sense than usual.

But Spock seemed to be following, adding to Khan's irritation. "That's impossible," he said. "Beth is a Starfleet officer. You met her less than a week ago."

"And I thank you for delivering her to me," Neel said. "And for encouraging her to submit herself into my care."

"Tell me what you mean!" Khan shouted. He clutched his head in his hands. Why did everything feel so murky?

"Beth is the last in a line of secondary Augments. They were not engineered for strength or intelligence. They were meant to bridge the gap between your kind and humans, to bring about the end of the Eugenic wars. The humans believed that if they could get Augments to breed with humans - even modified humans - it would weaken their resolve and dilute their genetic superiority."

"It would be an abomination," Khan said, horrified. "Gorgon."

Dr. Neel nodded and smiled. "When I first learned about you three months ago I did as much research as I could into that part of Earth's history. Many of the archives were well-sealed, but I still had contacts in the Federation. Gorgon was the only case in the files where an Alpha Augment - that's what your kind was called in this program - was able to successfully conceive a child."

"Of course." Khan finally understood why Gorgon had abandoned the Eugenics cause at the height of his success - some Augments were fiercely jealous of the humans' ability to have "real" families with true blood bonds.

"He was killed, along with his mate and unborn son."

Khan shivered. A boy. A baby boy.

"The Augments destroyed the program and most of its subjects. Few escaped, and I was only able to trace one genetic line, to Alaska."

"Beth's family," Spock concluded.

"Imagine my delight when I learned Beth was of breeding age, and a member of Starfleet to boot. Reading her records I could tell immediately that she had inherited the genetic anomaly. I tried to get her assigned to my outpost, but she had already signed on to the Enterprise. I did everything I could to ensure your ship would dock with us before leaving on its mission."

"By what right?" Spock demanded.

"What do you mean?" Neel asked, looking genuinely confused. "Aren't you curious what their children would be like?"

Khan stared at them, barely listening. Children. The idea made him sick - his genes polluted and diluted by human weakness and vulnerability. Augments always engineered their future generations and each generation was always better than the one before. It was the only way.

But then Khan randomly thought of the soft smile Beth had given him just moments ago, and he imagined a child with that smile, and her warmth. He shook his head, trying to clear the image. "No," he said. "I won't allow it."

Dr. Neel frowned. "I thought you might say that," he said. "But I don't need your permission. You are Beth have been injected with so many fertility hormones that I'm quite certain she's already pregnant. I'll need to conduct some tests of course."

"No," Spock said quickly and Khan wanted to kill him for assuming she was any of his business anymore. To Khan's surprise, Spock turned to him, imploring, "You can't let him touch her."

Another wave of exhaustion threatened to drown Khan and Dr. Neel took a few steps forward. "How are you feeling?"

Khan noticed obliquely that Neel was keeping one hand behind his back, probably concealing a weapon. Khan realized he was struggling so hard to stay conscious that he couldn't react. "What's wrong with me?" he asked, doubling over.

"It's the series of fertility injections Dr. Shane gave you. Your body has been working overtime, as only your body can, to maximize the chances of fertilization. When you ejaculated your body started the process over again and it's draining all of your resources. If I'm not mistaken you'll feel normal in a few hours."

"Good," Kahn said, easing himself onto floor. He just needed a moment to catch his breath.

"Yes," Neel agreed, standing over him. The doctor would not even need a weapon. "It's very convenient."

* * *

**Curses on Dr. Neel! Please forgive any typos and spelling - was typing this on an ipad as I am out of town for the long weekend but didn't want to leave you hanging. Hope you enjoyed this development - I think some of you saw the clues :) Please review - I love reading your comments!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Beth stood in the sonic shower for several minutes, leaning naked against the cool wall, watching the door and waiting for Khan to join her.

Sex was not at all what she had expected. The fundamental need to feel something and be felt by someone else, the joy of receiving pleasure and giving it - they had ultimately overwhelmed and outweighed her fear of the violence of the act.

And then there was the side of himself that Khan had revealed to her - it was something she had not anticipated and still didn't understand. When he was inside her his desperation to connect with her had been so acute and tangible she had found herself responding to it. There had never been anything more important to Beth than letting Khan know in that moment he was not alone.

She sighed, turning off the shower and reaching for her robe. "Khan?"

He was lying on the far bio-bed, flat on his back, apparently asleep. Beth smiled, imagining falling asleep beside him and waking up with her head on his chest. She started to walk towards him, but then remembered who he was and where they were, and that Spock was bound to a chair just outside the privacy screen. This was a chance to save the commander and free herself. She hesitated, but just for a moment, and imagined Khan's reaction when he realized what she was about to do, especially after they had just been so intimate and he was at his most vulnerable. Even if he didn't kill her, he would never look at her the same way again.

She swallowed hard, knowing she had no choice. If she didn't try and Spock got hurt, or worse, she would never be able to forgive herself.

"Commander?" There was something different. Spock had been gagged with a small towel tied behind his head. She went to untie it and froze when she realized that the other side of the room - the side with the bio-beds, where she had been with Khan - was not cloaked in darkness by the projected privacy screen. It was lit with lower light, but she could see it very clearly.

"When...?" she started to ask, but it was too ridiculous. Khan would not have revealed himself in such an intimate moment to an enemy. He would not have touched her so carefully or kissed her so deeply if Spock had been watching, unless... Beth didn't want to finish the thought... unless he had been acting the entire time, trying to elicit a specific response from her.

"Did you see?" she demanded from Spock, moving to stand in front of him so he couldn't avoid her. She didn't have to explain what she meant. He nodded. His eyes were sad and pitying, but also reproachful. Beth thought back to the way she had opened up to Khan, pulled him closer, practically begged him to cum for her.

"Was it Dr. Neel?" she asked, trying not to sound too hurt or too hopeful. Spock shook his head and started mumbling into his gag and Beth reached out and pulled it from his mouth. "What did... ?"

"... behind you!" he shouted, but it was too late. Beth felt pressure on her neck, followed by a familiar pain and hissing sound.

She whipped around, grabbing her neck with one hand. Dr. Neel was behind her, his fingers still curled around the offending hypospray.

"What was that?" she demanded, more angry than afraid of him in that moment. She lunged at him, connecting a fist with his shoulder, and stumbled as he stepped aside. She fell on the floor, dizzy. "What did you give me?"

He pocketed the hypospray and bent down to help her up. "Just a little something to calm you down."He draped her arm over his shoulder as she lost the feeling in her limbs. "All of this excitement isn't good for the babies."

"The what...?" As everything went dark and quiet, she couldn't be sure if she even said the words aloud.

* * *

Spock had never felt so helpless or hopeless. "Khan!" he yelled. "Khan, wake up!"

Dr. Neel had deactivated the privacy screen so he knew Khan could hear him, somewhere down in his subconscious. He was the only one who could help Beth now. Spock shouted again. "Khan, she needs you!"

"You don't want to do that," Dr. Neel scolded Spock once he'd laid Beth in a bed and fastened her restraints. He went to do the same to Khan and Spock could see the doctor hesitate, wondering if the Augment was faking again.

"Khan!" Spock yelled as the doctor secured Khan's right wrist in a strap. He saw Khan's face twitch, his eyebrow move. Dr. Neel saw it as well and he sprang back, hitting a red button on the wall next to Khan's bio-bed. There was a shimmer and the lights in the cabin dimmed and flickered for a moment, and Spock realized that Neel had activated a containment field around Khan's bed.

"It will not hold him forever," Spock advised seriously. "And will only anger him further."

Dr. Neel laughed nervously. "I don't need it to hold him forever, just until we reach Centula."

Four more days, by Spock's calculations. "And then what?"

"If he doesn't listen to reason I'll blow up the shuttle if I have to!" The doctor backed away further as Khan opened his eyes.

He stared at the ceiling for a few moments and then turned his head to look at his bound wrist. Spock expected him to just unfasten it with his free hand, but Khan had a point to prove. He flexed the muscles in his right arm, turning his body for leverage, and pulled the entire restraint off the table, bolts and all. He sat up on the bed, not turning his head as his eyes moved from Spock to Dr. Neel to Beth laying unconscious on the bed.

"Ah, good, I see you've got your strength back," Dr. Neel said smoothly, still backing away. Khan seemed to take his retreat as a signal to attack. He stood up.

"Careful," Spock warned him, but Khan walked directly into the containment field.

"Ah!" he cried as he was thrown back against his bed. He sent Spock a surprised look.

The doctor visibly relaxed when the containment field held, but his victory was short-lived as Khan picked himself up again and deliberately threw his shoulder into the energy field. It repelled him again but this time he caught himself and stayed on his feet.

"Khan, what are you doing?" the doctor asked, watching with fascination as Khan took a few steadying breaths and threw himself at the containment field a third time. Again, the lights in the cabin flickered. "Stop!" the doctor shouted. "If you keep this up you'll drain the power array. The ship's cloaking device will fail. The Enterprise will find us."

Khan smiled coldly at the doctor. "They might find us." He pointed to Spock, Beth and himself. "There won't be anything left of you for them to find." And he threw himself into the field again.

Spock thought Dr. Neel seemed shaken by Khan's threat. He fluttered nervously around the table where Beth lay, putting her between himself and Khan. The coward. Spock had never despised anyone so much.

Neel pulled the hypospray out of his pocket and fiddled with its dials before injecting Beth in the neck again. Khan hesitated as he watched Beth awaken. Once he could see she was alright he began slamming his other shoulder in the containment field.

"Don't you want to know the results?" Neel asked him quickly, and he smiled down at Beth, talking high and fast. "Don't you want to know how many you'll have?"

But Beth just stared at Khan, her eyes connecting with his and holding him. She let him see how much he had hurt her, her anger, her fear and confusion. Khan stopped his onslaught as she looked at him.

Spock was horrified. "How many?" he asked. Depending on the fertility drugs Beth had been given, and how the treatments had coincided with her ovulation cycle, there could be several, maybe dozens.

Beth struggled as Dr. Neel turned on the overhead bioscreen. He manipulated the controls and after a few minutes his look of excited anticipation turned sour.

"I only see two," he said, pouting like a disappointed child.

"Twins?" Beth asked, looking back to Khan. He looked down in disgust, turning away from her.

"It's enough for the first trial," Dr. Neel told her. "I'll remove them once we get to the lab at Centula; we can use them to configure the incubators and then in a month, maybe less, we'll try again."

"No," Beth said fiercely. "We won't."

"Interesting, do you mean you want to keep these two inside you? You want to carry them to term?"

Khan did turn around at that question and Spock saw him observing Beth closely. Now it was her turn not to look at him. She focused her loathing on Dr. Neel. "I just know you're not going to touch them."

"What about you, Khan? Don't you think it makes sense to maximize the number of successful offspring early in the trials?"

"You already know what I think," and Khan proceeded to slam his body into the containment field once, twice, three times in a row. He collapsed back on the bed, breathing hard.

Dr. Neel sighed, pulling up a chair and setting it down beside Beth's bed. "I can see this is going to be a very long trip." He smiled and took her hand in some perverted imitation of a bedside manner, ignoring the way she tried to snatch it back. Spock was horrified to see that the doctor had forgone his usual latex gloves and was touching Beth directly with his skin on hers.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and for the great reviews, as usual! I'm happy that Khan is back to full strength again, but what has the doctor unleashed in him?! And poor Spock, witness to everything and unable to do anything...**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

The doctor had been right. The journey to Centula seemed endless to Beth. The only measures of time passing were Khan's regular attacks on the containment field surrounding his bed. Instead of damaging him, the energy he absorbed seemed to fuel his determination to break free. Beth was afraid of what would happen if he did manage to escape. The focus of his retribution seemed to have shifted, at least temporarily, from Spock to Dr. Neel, but she also worried for herself. Khan's reaction to her pregnancy had made it clear he didn't want his progeny inside her. What would he do to get them out? Would he make certain it could never happen again… with him or anyone else?

She turned her face away from Khan as much as possible, but could not cover her ears. Every time he collided with the containment field there was a loud hum and snap that made her jump, followed by his grunt of pain and several short, fast breaths. By the second day the lights in the cabin were failing every time he tampered with the field. On the third day the bioscreen above her bed turned off and for a moment she was sure he had set himself free. She'd heard the doctor gasp in the cockpit, where he spent most of his time, and was viciously pleased by the idea of him cowering in fear of Khan coming to find him.

Maybe anything Khan did to her was better than whatever Dr. Neel was planning. Beth recognized the changes happening in him. She had seen it dozens of times. The frequent touching, the scattered thinking, the increasing possessiveness and shortness of temper – he was starting to be affected by her – and she doubted that the Ardanan would have as much self-control as Khan or even half-human Spock when it came to resisting his urges.

In the evenings she could hear him watching a recording of her having sex with Khan. The first time it was humiliating, to be there with Spock and Khan in the same room and all of them listening to her moans of pleasure and heavy breathing. Then the doctor replayed it again and again and Beth began to feel sick. What was running through his head as he watched it? Things had been bad enough for her when his interest was purely scientific and she tried not to imagine being the experimental subject of a sex-crazed psychopath.

Spock was the only source of hope that Beth had on the shuttle. Even bound to his chair he was a reassuring presence, always in control of himself and looking for ways to help her maintain some level of calm. When the doctor got too close to her during his examinations and she began to panic he might be crossing a line that couldn't be uncrossed, Spock always found a way to distract him and draw his interest back to his research. Spock asked questions about his observations, Khan's reaction to the fertility drugs, the timing of Beth's ovulation, the speed of actual conception, the doctor's hopes for future results, anything that would keep Dr. Neel talking and his focus away from Beth.

The doctor was excited to discuss his work with Spock and eager to hear his feedback. Spock gave it willingly, thoughtfully, never judging the doctor, never questioning him. When Dr. Neel retired at the end of each day to the privacy of the cockpit, Spock would wish him a good night as he would any colleague, and then greet him again in the morning. After a few days Beth realized that these small courtesies were not only keeping Dr. Neel's behavior professional, they were also sowing seeds of trust in the doctor's mind. There were moments that Dr. Neel looked almost wistfully at Spock's bindings, remarking that he could use the Vulcan's assistance.

On the morning of the fifth day, instead of the recording of her with Khan, Beth was woken by the sounds of the test where Dr. Neel had synthesized her modified pheromone and used it to incite the other patients. She felt herself beginning to hyperventilate as the sounds brought back vivid, terrifying memories, but then she found Spock's eyes across the room and they were burning with sympathy and she knew he was listening and remembering as well. She struggled to be strong, so he wouldn't have to suffer with her a second time.

It went on for what seemed like hours and when the sounds of her screams subsided and Beth was able to breathe again she turned to look at Khan. He was standing so close to the containment field that it was humming and sparking off his bare chest, but he seemed not to notice. He was staring at her and she was surprised by the mournful and tender expression on his face.

Then the doctor appeared in the doorway of the cockpit, and Beth knew immediately that he was changed. He ignored Spock's usual greeting and did not even cast nervous eyes in Khan's direction. He made a beeline for Beth and bent over her to whisper, "I hope you can forgive me." He stroked her hair as his wet lips moved against her cheek. "I was saving this until we reached the planet, but I don't think I can wait to hear you scream."

He stood up and produced a hypospray from his pocket. Beth flinched, sure he was going to inject her with some neurotoxin or psychotropic agent, but then he held the hypospray to his own neck and smiled nervously.

"No!" Spock shouted. "What are you doing?"

This seemed to ruin the doctor's nerve. He shook his arms out and took a deep breath, raising the hypospray again.

"Dr. Neel, would you please share your objective with me?" Spock asked in his most methodical voice. "Is that the synthesized pheromone?"

The doctor could not pass up the chance to confide in Commander Spock. "I want to know what it feels like," he said, looking down at Beth. She could not tell what he was referring to by the word _it_. Did he mean the effects of the enhanced pheromone, or the act of being inside her, or sex in general. Was hurting her the only way he could get aroused?

"But you are her doctor," Spock continued in his cool, logical manner. "You must maintain a level of detachment, for the good of the patient, and the experiment."

Dr. Neel shook his head, waving a dismissive hand. "There's no one else."

"There is," Spock said quietly. "Give it to me."

Beth gasped. What was he thinking? If he lost control he could kill her. Maybe that was his plan. Maybe he would rather see her dead as well.

Dr. Neel approached Spock, apparently intrigued by his offer. "And afterwards, you'll tell me how it feels? You'll tell me everything?"

Spock nodded. "I could even show you if you like."

"No!" Khan roared. He put his feet up on the side of the bed and used it as leverage to push himself up against the energy field. It sizzled and spat and Beth could see his skin peeling and blistering on his arm and shoulder as he held himself in place. The lights flickered in the cabin and one of the computer terminals blew, but the field did not fail. Eventually the bed gave way, collapsing sideways under his force. Khan fell on the floor, breathing hard.

This eruption seemed to bring Dr. Neel back to reality. He looked at the hypospray in his hand, then at Beth. He nodded at the commander, walked over and injected him in the neck.

"Try not to damage her too much," he said.

It took seconds for the change to appear in Spock's face. Beth watched in dread as he fought to control it and finally failed.

"Fascinating," Dr. Neel said as he saw Spock's focus shift from himself to Beth. He loosened the bindings on Spock's right hand and in the few moments it took Spock to free himself, Dr. Neel cordoned himself off in the cockpit with another containment field across the door.

Beth forced herself to relax as Spock walked towards her, slow and lumbering, still trying to fight the serum. She remembered from her time in the outpost's lab that the more she struggled the more excited the infected patients had become. She was also determined not to scream. She didn't want to give Dr. Neel the satisfaction and she didn't want Spock to have to live with the memory of her screams being directed at him.

He leaned over her, breathing deeply, and Beth squeezed her eyes closed. _As long as it's not the doctor_, she thought.

* * *

Spock rested his head on Beth's shoulder, clenching his fists to keep his hands from touching her. He had never smelled anything so good, never felt such strong desire. It was almost painful, no it _was_ painful, so deliciously painful to want something so badly and know he could have it… all he had to do was reach out and take her.

The emotions raging inside him were thrilling and devastating. Each time he pushed anger down he felt lust take its place. When he got control of the lust, jealousy threatened to undo him. He wanted to bury himself inside Beth and show her that she belonged to him. He wanted her to make the same noises for him that she had made for Khan. He would force her to watch as he killed Khan and then he would rip the Augment's seed out of her and replace it with his own.

Spock groaned into Beth's neck at the very idea of impregnating her, even as he found himself revolted by the fantasies exploding in his mind.

Beth turned her face to him and the slight movement sparked violent chills that caused him to shudder on top of her. "This isn't you," she whispered, and kissed him on the top of his head. "I know this isn't you."

That gesture arrested Spock. It brought back an adolescent memory of his mother kissing him on the top of his head after he'd lost his temper in a fight with his father. He had been so angry, he had sworn never to speak to his father again. His mother had not instructed him to suppress his emotion as Vulcan elders might have. She had told Spock to remember all of the emotions he felt for his father, and not just focus on the anger and resentment that burned in the heat of that moment.

Spock tried to remember his other emotions for Beth. They were mere shadows compared to the blind heat of his desire, but he was able to conjure the old sense of responsibility he felt for all officers under his command. He thought about his pride in seeing her doing so well in her research on the Enterprise. He had always felt protective of her, but that emotion had multiplied exponentially since sharing the terrible memory with her in the mind meld... He would not do those things to Beth. He would never hurt her like that.

Spock pushed himself off Beth, not daring to glance down at her for fear that it would be too much. He crossed the cabin to Khan and looked the ferocious Augment in the eye.

"Keep me away from her," was all he said, and he slammed his hand on the red button on the wall. The containment field shimmered and disappeared. Khan narrowed his eyes at Spock and reached out a hand to test it.

Spock felt a strong desire to fight Khan. He wanted to beat his head into the jagged edge of the broken bio-bed stand. But he stood still and let Khan grab him around the neck and lift him up into the air.

"Thank you," Khan said without irony or disdain, and he slammed Spock's body into the floor.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, I hope you all like this chapter! I ended up condensing a lot of what happened on the shuttle with Dr. Neel - he was creeping even me out too much and I wanted to let Spock in on the action :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Khan looked down at the Vulcan commander. Spock's face was unmoving, green bruises rising quickly on his neck. Khan was disappointed there was no blood; he had never seen green blood before.

He nudged Spock with his bare foot and then bent down to take his pulse. It was there, too strong for Khan's liking. He pulled back his arm and punched Spock hard across the face.

"No!"

Her voice made him stop, his fist cocked a second time.

"Please don't kill him," she begged and to hear Beth plead for Spock's life made Khan want to kill him even more.

But he stood and turned to look down at her on the bed. The robe she was wearing had been pushed up her legs, almost to the top of her thighs. His eyes lingered, remembering what it was like to be between them.

"Khan," she said, bringing him back to the moment. "He's my friend."

As if that should matter to him. "He killed all of _my_ friends."

Beth nodded, and her heartbroken face was almost convincing. "Please don't hurt me like that."

He stepped closer and brushed his thumb down her arm. Her sharp intake of breath was delicious – touching her was everything he remembered. "How do you want me to hurt you?"

But his voice was wrong. He regretted the words as soon as he'd spoken them. Beth closed her eyes in disappointment – resignation – and he withdrew his hand, feeling common.

"Could you at least untie me?" she asked, sounding exhausted. Khan tried to remember the last time she'd slept for more than a few hours and he felt an unexpected penitence that his pounding on the containment field had kept her awake.

She was gaunt. Anger surged inside Khan that the doctor had barely fed her over the past four days. There were stores of packaged meals on the shuttle - didn't Neel want his patient to be healthy? Didn't he want the two zygotes inside her to be strong?

Khan placed his hand over Beth's stomach.

"No!" She tried to turn away from him and he indulged her need to struggle. When she finally settled he slid his hand inside the front of her robe, laying it over her womb. She might have looked frail, but her skin was warm and supple. Khan closed his eyes, resisting the urge to move his hand lower. He tried to focus on what was inside her – a part of him that had somehow latched onto her, fused with her, made itself a part of her.

* * *

Beth watched him warily. His face was indecipherable - she waited for his hand to ball into a fist and pummel his tainted offspring to mush, along with half her vital organs. Would the doctor eek out of the cockpit and try to stop him? She doubted her value as a test subject was worth more than his own skin.

But then Khan withdrew his hand, leaving a cool imprint on her skin. She shivered as he rearranged her robe, making sure she was covered.

"This is not how we do it," he said simply.

He leaned over her. Beth cringed, expecting the worst and knowing it was inadequate because Khan's version of the worst easily outstripped her own. But then she heard a metallic snap and the restraint around her left wrist gave way. Before she realized what was happening, her right wrist was freed as well. Khan moved wordlessly around her, unfastening the bonds at her ankles.

Beth just lay there, trying to remember how to move. She thought she heard Spock moving on the floor beside her but before she could look Khan picked her up from the bed. He carried her through the cabin and into the small airlock chamber in the bow of the shuttle.

Beth realized where he was taking her and deduced what he was planning. He was going to trap her in the airlock and eject her, along with his unborn twins, into space like garbage in a galley's dumpster chute. She writhed out of his arms and landed hard on the floor.

"Why?" she asked desperately, clambering to her feet as he quickly stepped backwards, out of the airlock. He just looked at her as he pushed buttons on the control panel, locking the airtight doors between them.

Beth screamed, beating on the doors, and then turned around, bracing herself against them as she faced the outer hatch. When it opened she'd have less than a hundredth of a second before she was sucked out into space, projected like a rocket by the difference in air pressure. She'd probably lose consciousness after about thirty seconds, more than enough time to contemplate every mistake she'd ever made in her life.

Any second now. It was worse than she'd imagined – so perfectly clinical. Khan didn't even have to dirty his hands when he killed her.

* * *

Spock was not sure how he could be in so much pain and still be alive. When he opened his eyes all he saw was Khan standing over him. A predatory impulse to kick him limped through Spock's mind and he rejected it wearily.

"Where's Beth?" he asked. The very thought of her made his heart beat faster. He tried to sit up but Khan kept him down with a foot on his chest.

"Somewhere safe."

Good. Spock was glad. He could still feel dank desires washing over him as he lay on the ground. "Thank you."

Khan was watching him impassively. "You can't have her. I'd kill you first."

"I thought you were going to kill me anyway."

The Augment shook his head and smiled. "I have something else in mind." He knelt down and tapped the side of Spock's head. It felt like the pounding of a hammer. "Or rather, something else in your mind."

"What…?" Spock asked, confused. He watched Khan go to the cockpit door and push against the containment field. It flickered weakly and he pushed again, testing its boundaries.

"I saw you, Spock. The doctor was playing something… horrific. We all heard it. I recognized Beth's voice, her screams." Khan paused, remembering. "She was frightened while it played, but you… you were beyond frightened. You tried to control it but I could see it in your eyes that you were terrified."

Khan ran his hand along the wall between the cabin and the cockpit and leaned against it, listening. Spock pushed himself up off the ground, grabbing hold of the bio-bed to raise himself to his feet.

"If I'm not mistaken, you did a mind meld with Beth," Khan continued. "You shared that experience with her. You felt everything she felt, suffered everything she suffered."

"That's right," Spock admitted.

Khan found what he was looking for and lined his fist up with a spot in the wall. He pulled it back and then drove it through a metal panel. The lights turned out in the cabin and the containment field flashed and disappeared.

There was frightened yelp from the other side of the door and the sound aroused something animalistic in Spock, like a predator stumbling upon injured prey.

Khan disappeared into the cockpit for a moment and Spock heard the struggling shouts of Dr. Neel as Khan dragged him out of whatever hiding place he'd imagined would be good enough.

"Wait," the doctor begged. "I can help you both. I can give you both what you want."

Khan threw the doctor into the middle of the cabin.

"Spock!" Neel pleaded, crawling on his knees. "I know you want Beth. I know you love her. I can make her love you, and if she won't, she will have children. Imagine her daughters, all with her anomaly. As many as you like!"

Spock growled savagely, backhanding the doctor across the cabin, directly into Khan's hands.

"Would those be my daughters you're giving away?" Khan asked, picking Dr. Neel up off the ground.

"Khan, wait, Khan, I can help you find your… Aargh!"

The doctor screamed in pain as Khan squeezed both of his arms. Spock could hear bones splintering inside the doctor's flesh.

"And now," Khan said to Spock, depositing Neel in front of him. "I believe the doctor wanted to experience a vicious, perverse attack on a defenseless woman."

Spock nodded, finally understanding Khan's intentions. He raised his hand to Dr. Neel's face, spreading his fingers and conjuring Beth's most terrible memory. He braced himself, knowing that this time he would not suppress a single emotion. "I did promise to show you everything."

* * *

**Thanks for all the great reviews - hope this one was satisfying. Revenge is sweet! But poor Beth - even when Khan is protecting her it's traumatic!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

After many minutes, it was obvious the hatch wasn't going to open. Beth wasn't going to suffocate in space; she would probably suffocate in this airlock instead. She curled up in the corner of the dark and freezing chamber, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees. Her feet were braced against a box of safety flares bolted to the wall. She considered lighting one, just for warmth.

There was a loud crack – she ducked her head, covering it with her hands. The airlock doors shuddered violently as the air seal broke, and they slid open. She heard footsteps approach and then stop beside her. Beth didn't know who she was more afraid of in that moment – the erupting Vulcan or the arctic Augment. She knew it was not the doctor beside her – not with Khan released from containment – and she tried to find solace in that.

"Come, now." Khan's voice was almost gentle. She looked up at him. He had changed clothes – put on a shirt and heavy boots. He extended a hand to her. What game was he playing now?

"No," she said, tucking her head back under her arms. He bent down to pick her up and Beth pushed him away. "Get away from me!" She'd had enough of him carrying her around, putting her wherever he pleased.

His voice was still measured, just a trace of irritation. "You can't stay here."

There were sounds behind him, shadows shuffling in the low light.

"I told you to wait," Khan said, turning his head toward the sound. The footsteps stopped, seemed to back away.

"Who is it?" Beth asked, trying to look around him.

"Close your eyes and take my hand," Khan told her. "You don't need to see this."

Yes, she did. She pushed against the wall, her muscles aching as she stood.

"Beth," Khan started, but she held up a hand and he went quiet. She walked around him, her eyes straining to see just beyond the doors.

"What happened to the lights?" she asked, stepping forwards.

Khan put a hand out to stop her. "Not too close."

Then she heard rasping, halting breaths thick with fear and pain. Spock stepped forward, something bent and broken in his arms. It took a long time before Beth realized it was Dr. Neel.

"Oh!" she cried, closing her eyes, but it was too late. The silver hair ripped out in places and darkened by blood, the grey eyes unfocused as they rolled in her direction, the two unbroken fingers clinging to Spock's hand in abject terror - she would never be able to unsee them.

Spock's vacant and bewildered face was also spattered in blood. It ran down his neck and arms and it was too dark for Beth to see the color, but she knew it wasn't green. She turned away from him, reaching blindly for Khan, letting him circle an arm around her.

"That's right, commander," Khan was saying, "Put him down in the middle. Carefully, now."

A gurgling moan rose from the floor, followed by a limp squelch and a thud. Beth cringed and Khan steered her away, out of the airlock. He paused, keeping her against him. "You, too, Spock."

Beth peered over her shoulder as Spock approached. She caught a glimpse of the doctor on the floor behind him. He was folded in half like a playing card, his arms and legs at unnatural angles.

"Close the door," Khan commanded in the same pleasant voice. "Lock the seal."

Spock's spirit was just as broken as Dr. Neel's body. He reacted slowly, staring at the panel beside the door, clumsily pushing the buttons.

"You did this to him," Beth realized, looking up at Khan. There wasn't a speck of blood on him.

Khan didn't deny it. "I could not have stopped him if I'd wanted to." He turned back to the commander. "Open the hatch."

Spock raised his hand to the panel.

"No!" Beth said, trying to push herself away from Khan. He easily held her in place with one hand. She turned back to him, looking into his imperturbable eyes. "I want to do it."

Khan raised his chin slightly, his only indication of surprise, and released her.

Beth nodded, taking a deep breath. She turned back to Spock and put her hands on his shoulders. He flinched but she was able to steer him to the side. "Thank you," she whispered, hoping he could hear her. She would probably never know the details of what he had done to the doctor – she didn't want to know – but she knew he was not himself. If he ever came back to himself, she wanted to rescue him from this memory just as he'd rescued her during the mind meld. "Thank you for hurting him."

Telling herself it was a kindness to an evil man who deserved much worse, Beth lifted the safety guard on the hatch release and pushed the red button. The inner doors quaked as a vacuum filled the airlock, but they held, and Beth could feel heat leeching out of her body, through the doors and into empty space.

* * *

**And then there were three! A shorter chapter so I could keep the next section together, but I hope you liked it :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Khan had initially tried to shield Beth from seeing the doctor's almost-lifeless body, but when she'd seen it and turned to him for comfort, he'd hoped the pathetic heap of broken bones would drive a wedge of fear between Beth and Commander Spock.

Apparently it had further endeared him to her.

"Thank you for hurting him," she had said to Spock, laying her hands on his blood-soaked shirt.

If he'd known it would make her so grateful, Khan would have skinned the doctor alive like the eel he was. Instead, he had encouraged Spock to become the worst kind of murderer he could imagine: an involuntary one.

Even Khan had found it hard to witness the uncontrolled brutality. As the effects of the injected pheromones wore off, he had seen doubt and dismay fill Spock's blood-splattered face, followed by horror at the violence he seemed unable to stop. Finally his eyes went blank as his half-Vulcan mind tried to wrangle and partition the trauma. His fists stopped punching, his howling subsided and he went unnaturally still. He was calm, but fragmented and insensible – malleable to Khan's commands.

"Clean up your mess," was the first instruction, and Spock had wiped down the walls and soaked up the pools of blood on the floor with a sheet from one of the beds. He shuffled like a badly-programmed automaton and Khan allowed himself a moment of triumph.

But Beth seemed to pity Commander Spock more than anything. She'd saved him from having to commit the final act of expelling the vestiges of the doctor into space, and now she was watching him slump against the wall, her tired eyes full of worry.

"How long will he be like this?" she asked Khan.

He wanted to shake her and make her look at him with such tenderness. Instead he took her arm. "You need to eat."

The look she gave him was pure loathing. "Don't tell me what I need. You may have gotten your way with Spock, and you may have had it with me once, but you won't have it again. You got your revenge, didn't you? When we get to the planet just leave us there. You can go wherever you like. By the time anyone finds us on Centula you'll be on the other side of the galaxy."

"You think that I could leave you?" Khan asked, pulling Beth's arm gently, but forcibly, until she was close enough he could count her eyelashes. "You are mine."

"I'm not…" she began, but Khan pressed his lips against hers. She struggled for a moment – a delectable moment when he imagined grabbing her hard, forcing her against the wall – but then he felt her body remember him, respond to him. He flicked his tongue against Beth's top lip and her mouth opened obediently.

Khan pulled back to look at her and ran his hand over her breast, down her waist. Beth kept her eyes closed and her mouth open, her pink tongue pushing against her front teeth. He kissed her again, inviting her tongue into his mouth and felt a tidal wave of desire as she obliged with a soft, unguarded moan. How could she think he would ever leave her? She brought him such pleasure and his mind ran rampant with all the things he could do to try and please her.

Besides, Beth, and the… Khan couldn't stop himself thinking the word… _children_… inside her were the only things keeping him from being completely alone in the universe.

She turned her head, breaking the kiss. "But Spock," she said breathlessly.

Khan wanted to scream but he just groaned into her neck. "Don't give me a reason to kill him." The Vulcan was only alive for Beth's sake. If she was going to keep him between them…

"Not in front of him," she explained. "Not again."

"He has no idea what's going on." Khan kissed the side of her neck, licked her earlobe, sucked it gently between his teeth. He wanted to kiss every part of her, and wanted her to want it even more. He brought his hand up between her legs, under her robe, stroking the unbearably soft skin on the insides of her thighs.

"No," Beth said, trembling. Her voice was as weak as the hands pushing against his chest, but Khan let her go.

He took a deep, steadying breath. "Put him in the bathroom then. Turn the shower on him. He stinks of the doctor's blood."

Beth graced him with a grateful smile and as she turned away Khan reached out a hand, letting her hair run through his fingers. What was this hold she had over him? Was it just her genetic anomaly? He wanted to be inside her body so much that sometimes he could think of nothing else, but he also wanted to be inside her mind. He wanted her to think of him and smile at him again. He wanted her to trust him and tell him things. Khan realized that he was jealous of Spock's mind meld with her, no matter how traumatic the experience.

He watched her lead Spock into the bathroom and heard the sonic shower turn on. Khan went to the food stores and pulled out two freeze-dried packages of granola with blueberries and milk. He opened one for himself, pouring it into his mouth and enjoying the sweetness. He imagine feeding the blueberries to Beth, then kissing her and tasting the same sweetness on her tongue. He imagined squeezing juice from fresh blueberries onto her nipples and licking it off, maybe dripping a trail of juice down her body…

Khan looked around for her – he had never wanted anything so much. He went to the bathroom and was struck by a surge of jealous anger when he saw she had closed the door. Leaning against it, he heard the shower running and also the sound of soft humming.

* * *

Beth stood in her robe in the sonic shower with Spock, wiping his face clean with a hand towel. She hummed a lullaby her mother used to sing to her. It seemed to reach him - at least he was looking at her now. Maybe his human mother had sung the same lullaby to him as a child.

When his face was clean Beth started to take off his shirt. "Raise your arms," she said, and he raised them just enough that she could pull the shirt off over his head. She dropped it on the floor and began scrubbing his neck. To keep him from rocking too much she put a hand on his bare chest. He felt different from Khan – or at least she felt different when she touched him. Khan was devastating – he seemed to know exactly how to move her and control her just with the slightest touch of his fingertips, the placement of his mouth on her body.

But Spock… since joining the Enterprise, he had been a safe fantasy – the first male commander she'd ever had who cared more for her career and well-being than trying to kiss her, who always treated her with professional respect even when she wished he'd take her in his arms and disrespect her. Then he'd lost control of himself in her quarters on the Enterprise. He had frightened her but also made her wish she could respond in kind.

Khan had shown her that sex could be more thrilling than frightening. If she'd known that when Spock had first pulled her body against his, would she still have pushed him away?

"What do you think you're doing?"

Beth jumped, turning around to look at Khan in the doorway. She glanced back at Spock, at her hand on his chest.

"Cleaning off the blood," she said, realizing her face was flushed and being grateful she had the steam in the shower as an excuse.

"You can do that yourself, can't you Spock?" Khan strode over to them, snatching the hand towel out of Beth's hand and throwing it in Spock's impassive face. He took Beth's arm, pulling her roughly out of the bathroom and closing the door so hard it slammed behind them. He pushed her against it, holding her there with his body pressed against hers.

Beth didn't struggle, tried to control her breathing. Khan kissed her roughly, asserting his claim on her. She let him do it but refused to let herself respond. His hands ran up and down her body. She could taste his desperation but she would not let him force a reaction from her. Finally he gave up and clenched his fists, banging them against the door frame.

"Why?" he demanded. "Why does it always come back to him?"

Beth shook her head. "He's my friend."

"No. I see the way you watch him. Do you love him?"

Beth turned her head. She didn't know how she felt – she had been too afraid to put a label on something so hopeless. "He was just the first man who made me think that maybe… more was possible."

"More than what, Beth?" Khan was already intimately close. He put one hand on the back of her head, pressed his forehead to hers and looked her in the eye. "More than this?"

He shifted his body so he could place his hand over her belly, caressing it lightly. "More than this?"

Beth froze. She had been frightened enough when she thought Khan didn't want his offspring inside her. The idea of him becoming attached to them was even worse.

She thought of her mother and the way she had hidden with her young daughter in a remote corner of Alaska's wilderness. Beth would not have it so easy – there was no place in the galaxy she would be able to hide her children from Khan.

* * *

**Hope you liked this chapter. It's good to see Khan softening a bit, but how long will that last if Beth doesn't reciprocate? **


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Khan stood beside the narrow bio-bed and watched Beth sleep. He longed to join her, put an arm around her, lay his leg over hers and just let his mind go… but they were two hours from Centula and someone had to see to the condition of the shuttle.

Spock was being almost useful, rewiring the panel by the cockpit that Khan had smashed. He was slow and ham-fisted in his current state, but one-by-one the systems were restored - first the lights, then heat started to circulate and computers came back online. Khan used one of them to check the shuttle's power array and his suspicions were confirmed; between the cloaking device and all of the containment fields, they were dangerously low on power. At this rate there would be barely enough to reach the planet, let alone establish orbit and land.

He could do a controlled crash in the shuttle – pilot it into a large body of water or try to glide it onto a flat field – but neither was an option here. Beth had shown him a map of the protected valley where the Federation research station was located, and there were no lakes or fields within a hundred miles. Perhaps they could parachute once they got low enough. Khan went to the storage locker to count the parachutes. There were two. He smiled to himself – looked like Spock would be taking his chances on the shuttle – not even Beth could blame him for that.

But then he thought of Beth strapped into one of the parachutes. Maybe it wouldn't open. Maybe she wouldn't even _try_ to open it. Maybe she would crash on the landing, blow off-course or into the side of a mountain on the way down. Khan dropped the parachutes back inside the locker. There was only one option.

He went into the cockpit, stepping over the nest of blankets and pillows and used food wrappers Dr. Neel had left behind on the floor. Sitting in the pilot's chair, he pulled up the control panel and deactivated the cloaking device. The Enterprise might find them, if they happened to scan the space around Centula in the next two hours, but it was his only chance to safely land the shuttle.

* * *

Beth woke with a start. Something was different. She looked around the cabin of the shuttle. The lights were back on. She saw Spock standing by the cockpit, poking at a hole in the wall with a fuse puller.

"Good job, Spock," she said, and his head halfway turned to her, his eyes still heavy and unfocused.

Beth sat up and instantly realized what was different; this was the first time she had woken up in days when she wasn't strapped down or tied up or constrained in some way.

There was something else though. She'd had dreams, and lots of them. They were already escaping her waking mind, but they _felt_ good – they felt happy and safe.

Khan came into the cabin from the cockpit. Spock barely reacted as he roughly brushed past him.

"We're almost to Centula," he told her. "Change into a uniform."

Beth saw his eyes linger on her bare legs, the opening of her robe. She found herself wanting him to look at her. He had barely touched her after pulling her out of the sonic shower with Spock. She had expected him to be rough and demanding, and some part of her had been disappointed when he'd just fed her and put her into bed. She stood in front of him, wondering why he didn't try to kiss her.

"Now," he ordered. His voice was serious, but not harsh. Beth went to the closet. There was one medic uniform left – a conservative suit with long sleeves and long pants, like the uniforms worn by Khan and Spock. There was also a standard nurse's uniform with a lower neckline and short skirt. Beth picked it up but immediately put it back. What was she thinking? Khan was a killer, she had to remind herself; a truly dangerous and unpredictable man. Maybe he was decent to her now, but he was manipulating her, just like he had before, just like he did with everyone else. She didn't need to reward him.

Beth took the medic uniform into the bathroom to change. When she came out Khan was waiting just outside the door. Again, she felt like he should kiss her, run his hand over her hip and pull her close. Instead, he handed her another freeze-dried food pouch - chicken and rice – and watched her eat it.

"Earlier you told me you could navigate to the research station," he reminded her. "Were you just saying that because you were under duress?"

"You mean when you were torturing me?" Beth asked, biting hard on the tasteless grains of powdery rice.

His eyes flickered but he didn't pretend to be ashamed. "Can you do it?"

Beth nodded. "I studied Centula for weeks before the Enterprise arrived. I know the topography of the northern continent as well as I know anything."

"Good. In addition to the geomagnetic storms you mentioned, we'll be on manual pilot. Most of the shuttle's sensors aren't working. We'll be coming in hard and blind and low on power. We can't afford to make a second pass. I'll pilot, you guide me."

She nodded again. "I can do that."

Khan smiled. "Good girl." He lead the way into the cockpit, taking her hand as they passed Spock and keeping hold of it to help her around the mess on the floor and into her seat. He leaned over to help with her seatbelt but she held up a hand to stop him. It felt too familiar, like the many times she had been involuntarily strapped into restraints. She buckled the harness over her own chest.

The red planet of Centula was already clear in the window of the shuttle, and rapidly growing larger. There were pinkish clouds covering most of the surface, some of them flaring with multi-colored lights like the aurora borealis she'd grown up with in Alaska.

"We want to come in just under the northern lights," she told Khan. "Once we get below the clouds I should know where we are. Be careful not to come in too steep. The mountains will come at us quickly."

He nodded and put his hand on her leg. Before she could stop herself Beth wished she'd chosen the short skirt of the nurse's uniform. "I won't let anything happen," Khan told her.

"When we get below the clouds you can drop the cloaking device, if that helps," Beth said. "The Enterprise won't be able to scan for us below the clouds."

"I dropped the cloaking device hours ago," he said matter-of-factly.

"But they'll know we're here!"

Khan turned and looked at Beth. "Does that concern you?" he asked.

Beth shook her head, blushing, not sure why it _did_ concern her. "Aren't you worried?"

"It was the only way to conserve enough power for the landing. They may not have detected us."

There was a sudden jolt as the shuttle seemed to hit a wall. Beth yelped and gripped the panel in front of her.

"It's just the impulse engines powering off," Khan said, pushing buttons. "We're in a degrading orbit. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Beth lied.

"I'm transferring everything to the shields."

And it was not a moment too soon. Beth could see the flames through the window as the shuttle burned up entering the harsh Centulan atmosphere.

"We're in the stratosphere," Khan announced as they descended into pink mist.

Beth leaned forward in her chair, peering through the window. "Slow down," she told Khan, "I think I see something."

"I'm trying," he said, pulling up on the control wheel. Something huge and dark slid past them and there was another jolt sideways. "We hit something but the shields held."

"It was a mountain," Beth said. There was only one mountain range where the peaks went all the way up to the clouds. "I know where we are. We're close, but go slower."

Another dark mass came at them. Khan swerved the shuttle to avoid it and they escaped with another sideways jolt. Beth heard things crashing back in the cabin and she suddenly remembered Spock. He had been standing by the wall, not protected, probably without enough sense to try to protect himself. "Get us lower," she told Khan, "So I can see where we are."

He pointed them downwards, turning again and again to avoid the dark shapes flying at them in the mist. Finally they broke through the bottom of the clouds, the jagged red mountains rushing at them from beneath. Beth screamed and Khan pulled hard on the controller, steering them into a labyrinth of huge rocks and tiny spaces barely big enough for the shuttle to squeeze through.

Barely a minute later, though it felt like hours to Beth, they were out the other side.

Panting and struggling to breathe, Beth pointed to a peak on the horizon. "That's where we want to land," she said. "On the other side of that big one you'll see two ranges split off at different angles. Go between them, you'll see the vegetation and the research station is on the left side, about twenty miles in."

Khan turned them towards it as Beth unbuckled her seatbelt. "What are you doing?" he asked her, reaching out one hand to stop her, and the shuttle tipped to the left. He had to return his hand to the controller. "Where are you going?"

"Spock isn't..." she began.

"Oh, fuck Spock!" Khan roared. "Sit back down!"

But she was already out of her seat. He leaned after her and the shuttle tipped again. Beth fell against the doorframe, stumbling through it. It took a minute for her to see Spock on the floor, wrapped around the base of one of the bio-beds. She slid across the floor as the shuttle jolted again, this time followed by a loud crack. It was lightning being attracted to the shields on the shuttle. She had been through this before in Alaska - it would be rough - she had to get Spock into a chair and buckled in.

"Beth!" Khan yelled from the cockpit as there was another crack and the shuttle seemed to drop like a stone and Beth floated for a moment a few inches above the floor.

"I'm okay!" she yelled back as she scrambled under the table with Spock. She tried to pry his fingers off the base of the bed but they were locked in place. "Come on, Spock," she said gently, stroking his hands, trying to get them to relax.

There was another crack and this time the shuttle turned almost completely on its side. Beth screamed as she started to tumble backwards. Suddenly there was something strong wrapped around her wrist, catching her. She looked back and saw Spock, one hand wrapped around her, his other hand holding onto the bed as they both dangled in space.

His eyes were shining with urgency and intelligence. "I have you," he said, pulling her closer, back under the bed with him as the shuttle righted itself. He wrapped his arms and legs around her, pulling her against him, locking her in place with the bed's stand between them.

"Beth!" Khan yelled again. "Beth, answer me!"

But she couldn't answer him. She was too pleased to see Spock, too relieved he was better, too busy letting him kiss her as the shuttle and the universe came crashing down around them.

* * *

**Oh no! Is Beth getting carried away in the moment, or will there be more to the kiss? And right after Khan decided it was more important to get Beth onto the planet safely than hide from the Enterprise! Thanks for reading, and for all the great reviews, follows and favs :)  
**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Spock held Beth for several moments after the shuttle stopped moving. The landing – if you could call it that – had been more than rough. Preparing for impact, he had moved behind her, pulled her against his body and wrapped himself around her like a cocoon. He wedged them both into the space between the bio-bed and the wall, she was as protected as it was possible to be on a shuttle hurtling through an electrical geomagnetic storm. Spock, on the other hand, felt every bump and shunt, his muscles straining, his ligaments tearing as he struggled to hold on.

"Let me go, Spock," Beth whispered to him in the quiet that followed. "I have to get out of here."

He didn't want to release her but it was only logical to separate her from Khan as much as possible. He reluctantly unwrapped his arms. "Go to the station. Hail the Enterprise. At warp they'll be here in an hour. Then hide."

Beth hesitated, looking at the cockpit door. "What will you do?"

"I'll hold him off as long as I can."

She nodded. "Be careful, Spock, but please… don't kill him."

She looked down on those last words and Spock narrowed his eyes. In his weakened state he would be lucky to slow Khan down let alone kill him, but it did not make sense for Beth to be concerned for a murderer's safety. After everything he had done, on Earth and to the Enterprise, to Spock and herself, Khan did not deserve anyone's compassion, least of all hers.

Perhaps she was softening to him because he had sired the two embryos growing inside her. The sooner they were removed the sooner she would be in her right mind.

Spock took Beth's hand and lowered his voice. "He won't want you if he finds out his crew is still alive."

She frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

Spock looked to the cockpit. There was dirt sliding out beneath the door; it had obviously been compromised. He doubted Khan was dead - he doubted even a freefall from orbit would kill the Augment - but maybe they had a few minutes.

"You remember the seventy-two torpedoes?"

Beth nodded. "From the original conflict with Khan. You armed them to save the Enterprise."

"I did, but I had Khan's crew removed first. They weren't in the torpedoes when they were beamed to the other ship." He watched as the words sunk in.

"Why didn't you just tell him?"

"The last time someone tried to keep Khan from his crew he went on a terrorist rampage from which Starfleet is still recovering. I could not allow him to learn the truth."

Beth pulled her hand back and stood, glaring down at him. "But that was the reason for this, for all of this." She waved her arms around the shuttle's cabin. "He brought me here to punish you. He hurt me to hurt you. He helped Dr. Neel escape custody. You could have prevented it all with just a few words."

Spock was not sure he could make her understand. She was too much like Captain Kirk: sentiment first, duty second. "I hated to see you suffer, Beth. It almost drove me mad, but if I had told Khan his crew was alive, thousands, if not millions, of lives would have been put at risk."

She paced back and forth, trying to process the information, then suddenly stopped. "But you would tell him now?"

Spock looked away, ashamed of his desire to have Beth for himself. "If I have to. He will not leave you alone as long as he thinks you're the only family he has. Once he learns the truth he won't want you. Any of you."

Beth's hands moved instinctively to cover her womb. Spock watched them jealously.

"If you want the children, I will help you. We will raise them on New Vulcan. They will be taught discipline, and will learn to master their augmented emotions. And it is the safest place for you." He gave her an embarrassed smile. "Most Vulcans have more self-control than me."

"I don't know," Beth said, pulling at the high neck of her uniform. "I can't think in here."

Spock watched her turn and hurry to the aft airlock, open it and step around the stain of Dr. Neel's body on the floor. Spock went to close the airlock doors behind her and shuddered as he remembered the rage and violence that had filled him in those moments. A lingering ember glowed and flickered inside him, and he wondered if it could ever truly be extinguished.

* * *

Khan coughed dust and grit from his lungs. As he moved, his head throbbed with pain. He heard rocks falling over themselves, dropping to the floor. "Beth," he said hoarsely, but the seat beside him was empty, snapped in half. A long shard of red rock was impaled through its back. Khan stared at it, imagining the rock going through Beth's chest, and felt instantly grateful for her brainless devotion to Commander Spock.

The front window had been completely destroyed and most of the cockpit had filled with rocks from the long slide the shuttle had made on the landing. Khan was buried up to his waist, and he was sure at least two of his ribs were broken. He gritted his teeth and stood, slowly, painfully, the rocks falling to the side as more tumbled through the window.

Climbing over them he went into the cabin, dreading what awaited him there. Spock was sitting in a chair, staring forward, the safety harness buckled over his chest. So, Beth had secured her precious Vulcan. Lucky her.

"Where is she?" he asked Spock, not expecting the dolt to answer. Khan checked the bathroom, the closets, and finally the airlock. The outside hatch was open. It was beginning to rain but for a second Khan saw one of Beth's shoe-prints in the red earth, pointing towards the nearest stand of tall green trees. The rain was already obscuring any other trace of her. Khan had no idea how long she'd been gone – he'd been knocked unconscious in the landing – it could have been five minutes or five hours.

He turned around to look at Spock again, who was watching him vacantly. "Did she say anything?"

Surprisingly, Spock nodded.

Khan was by his side in a second. "What was it?" he asked, shaking Spock's shoulders. He could have sworn he saw the Vulcan smirk.

"Goodbye."

"Useless," Khan sneered, letting him go. He went to a computer to pull up a map of the valley, but everything was down. Only the emergency lights flickered in the cabin. He could remember the map Beth had shown him, but he needed to orient himself. No scanner or even an old-fashioned compass would work in an environment filled with so much electromagnetic energy. It was too dark and cloudy to see the movement of Centula's sun.

"Station," Spock mumbled under his breath, leaning forward in his seat belt.

Khan went to him again. "The research station?" he asked. "What about it? Is that where Beth went?"

"Station," Spock repeated, nodding slowly and pointing outside the airlock door.

Khan narrowed his eyes; Spock was being almost _too_ helpful.

"Is that where she went?" Khan asked. "Do you know where it is?"

Spock nodded, more vigorously this time. "Station."

"Alright, show me." He unbuckled the commander's seat belt and pulled him to his feet. He led him through the airlock and went ahead through the hatch to stand in the rain. Khan noticed that Spock jumped neatly from the shuttle to the ground – about two feet – without falling or slipping in the wet. "Where is the research station?" Khan asked.

Spock rolled his head listlessly and pointed to the right.

"You go ahead. I'll follow."

He watched the Vulcan trudge across the red mud, sure that wherever he was going, it was _not_ the research station. Khan waited until Spock had walked almost fifty yards ahead before he turned and started running in the opposite direction.

* * *

Spock walked as quietly as he could, listening for the sound of Khan following behind him. If he risked turning around Khan would surely realize he was no longer in a near-vegetative state.

In the distance he heard the cawing of blazons – large red birds native to Centula that lived and hunted on the ground and only launched themselves into the air when threatened. Spock turned to where they were circling and landing in the trees. He saw the back of Khan's head and shoulders disappearing over a mound.

Spock cursed under his breath – as much of a curse as any Vulcan allowed himself – and took off running after Khan. He had failed to lead him away from the station, failed to buy Beth more time. It was lucky that Khan had been knocked unconscious for as long he had been – almost twenty minutes – it was enough. She could have reached the station in that time, hailed the Enterprise and locked herself in one of the storage sheds. Khan wouldn't know where to start looking for her, and Spock wouldn't let him find her, wouldn't let him touch her again. He couldn't help remembering the look on Khan's face when he was inside Beth – the pure pleasure – maybe even love that he'd felt. The thought made Spock sick and the embers of fury billowed and blazed inside him again. He thought of kissing Beth in the shuttle, holding her life in his hands as they hurtled through the storm together. He had not saved her for Khan. He would rather see her dead than in the hands of that monster.

The thought flashed across Spock's mind in a blaze of such certainty that it made him trip and fall. He landed hard on the rocks, splitting his bottom lip, green blood splashing onto the red earth. He welcomed the pain and the urgency it gave him. Khan was faster but he wasn't sure where he was going, had to keep correcting himself. Spock had traveled this path many times during the science expedition with the Enterprise. He was gaining on him, might even reach him before they got to the research station.

He would kill Khan. He suddenly knew that he could do it. Beth would never have to know. He would take the body back to the shuttle and bury it under the rocks in the cockpit, say he'd died in the landing. She would never guess the truth. Spock thought of consoling her, helping her forget Khan had ever existed, making her forget that anyone else had ever existed, until the only thing she had left in the universe was him.

* * *

**Thanks for reading - hope you liked this chapter. The doctor's evil legacy lives on - poor everyone! And will Beth forgive Spock for keeping the secret about Khan's crew when it could have saved her? Will Khan ever find out the truth, and what will that mean for Beth?**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hi all, sorry I didn't post over the weekend. Had entirely too many distractions with Comic-Con and visitors from out of town! But here is the next chapter - I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

**Chapter 29**

Khan could hear the footsteps behind him, over his breathing, over the rain, over his own feet on the wet ground, dodging and weaving between the trees and tall rocks. Spock's feet landed with such precise certainty that Khan knew he was about to be overtaken, or tackled, or both.

So he aimed for a tree – slender and strong – and leapt as high as he could, planting his feet on the trunk, holding on with one hand, turning around to lay his eyes on Spock for a split-second. The tree bent slightly under his weight and then sprang forward, propelling Khan directly into the Vulcan's path.

Spock had time to duck Khan's elbow but his face connected with Khan's right knee. He went down, grunting in pain, and came up quickly, a large red rock in each hand.

Khan circled Spock warily, watching his eyes through the falling rain. He'd seen those demented eyes before - the last time they had been trained on Dr. Neel's sorry hide – but this time Khan could appreciate just how empty and obscene they truly were. Khan wondered if this was how he looked to the people he killed. No wonder Beth was so afraid of him.

Spock threw one of the rocks, pitching it hard at Khan's chest. It was easy to deflect and Khan did so, stepping back and to the right. Spock threw the other rock. Khan side-stepped it as well and Spock picked up a third and fourth rock and threw them, always driving Khan back and to the right. Just when Khan thought he was getting off easy, Spock picked up a fifth rock and raised his arm like he was going to throw it. Khan dodged backwards and felt himself collide with something hard. He was backed up against a large boulder, with another boulder on his right. Spock was moving around to block any escape.

Baring his teeth like the trapped animal he was, Khan ran at him. The Vulcan swung the rock, hitting him hard over the head. He felt the skin tear, hot blood trickling down his face and mingling with the rain, but he did not stop even when he had Spock around the waist and his own broken ribs were screaming in pain. He ran him backwards – Spock trying to maneuver him around – until they both stumbled over shallow tree roots and lurched headfirst down a hill.

They rolled together down the rocky slope. Khan watched for larger, sharper rocks – tried to avoid them and push Spock into them. Finally they landed in a pool of red mud and Khan was forced to release Spock as he struggled to find his footing. There were more rocks – large ones – Khan could feel them with his hands and feet, but each time he put weight on one he felt it sink into the mud, pulling him down further.

After a minute Khan managed to get his head above the mud. He sucked in a lungful of air, looking around for Spock, for something to grab onto. He was up to his chest with nothing in reach. There was a branch far off to the left but when he leaned towards it he sunk another few inches, when he kicked with his feet, he lost another few inches again. Suddenly he was up to his neck, both of his hands above his head but there was nothing he could do with them. At least it had stopped raining.

Then he felt something hard hit him in the side of the head, where it was already sore and bleeding. Khan spun his torso around, costing him another two inches. Spock was kneeling on the ground, caked in mud but apparently safe, and pelting rocks at Khan's head.

"Spock," Khan said, realizing the inside of his mouth was covered in mud. "Spock, pull me out." He wondered if Spock would have saved him even in his right mind. "Do it for Beth," he tried. "She'll never forgive you."

"Who do you think I'm doing this for?" Spock asked, throwing another rock. It was small and badly aimed. Khan did not let himself react, fought the urge to bat it away and pull himself deeper into the quagmire. Spock threw another small one. It bounced off Khan's cheek but did no damage. Spock wasn't trying to knock him out; he was just trying to make him sink faster.

Khan looked around again as though something would miraculously appear for him to grab onto. He saw a building through the trees, over the next ridge. The research station. If he shouted and Beth was in the building, maybe she would hear.

But then what? Why would she want to save him? Why should she?

Another rock, this time aimed at Khan's left eye. He couldn't help but flinch and move his hands. He felt the cool mud rise to the bottom of his chin.

Khan did not call out for help. He decided he would never do it. He didn't want Beth anywhere near Spock, especially in his current state. Khan just wanted her safe, and as far away as possible. She knew Centula; maybe she could hide here… but for how long? Maybe days. Would the injected pheromones be out of Spock's system by then? What if they weren't? What if Spock was altered forever? Beth would be all alone, trapped on a planet with a hormonally-charged maniac.

Another rock deflected off Khan's hands, and another, this time bigger and thrown so hard it broke the skin on his left wrist. It was accompanied by an angry shout from Spock. Still, Khan did not struggle.

And the children. _His _children. Khan felt a spasm of excitement mixed with dread as he thought of them. Spock would kill them. Why wouldn't he? And how long would Beth be on this planet with Spock? Long enough to give him the children she should have given Khan? How long until their little family was found? Surely the Enterprise was still looking for them. Maybe Beth had already contacted them. Khan felt a small surge of hope even as a large rock landed beside his head, splashing mud onto his face and pushing down on his shoulder. Captain Kirk was her best chance now.

* * *

Beth dragged the heavy box on a rope behind her, bumping it over the uneven ground and snagging it on underbrush. She knew where she could hide it so even Commander Spock would never find it. She knew he wouldn't understand, but hoped he would let her have the time she needed.

As she got to the edge of the ridge she picked up the large box and prepared to lower it down ahead of her. She saw movement by the mud pit below. Someone was throwing stones. It looked like Spock, completely covered in red mud. Had he fallen into the pit? He knew better than that – he was the one that had warned Beth about the pits on their last visit. And why was he throwing stones? And the way he threw them, with such violence and vehemence, it gave Beth chills. She watched for a minute before realizing that he was throwing them _at_ something. She couldn't tell what it was from this distance, but her mind immediately went to Khan. If Spock had left the wrecked shuttle, where was Khan?

Spock let out a hellish scream and turned around to face Beth's direction. She dropped to the ground and lay flat, holding her breath. She didn't think he was looking for her but she suddenly knew she didn't want to be found.

When she heard him leaving, knocking rocks together as he walked over them, Beth dared to look again. He was climbing the slope on her left, in the direction of the research station. She would not have much time before he realized what she'd done.

Without standing, Beth pushed the heavy box over the side of the ridge and let it slide down the steep grade, controlling it with the rope. Next she took off a shoulder bag she'd grabbed from the station and threw it over the edge. Finally she slid on her belly down the hill, sure to stay out of sight in case Spock happened to turn around.

After waiting a moment to make sure he wasn't coming back, Beth went to the edge of the mud pit and looked out to the middle, where Spock had been throwing stones. She didn't see anything at first – just some mud-covered sticks poking out above the surface. But then one of the sticks twitched, and Beth realized they were fingers. She had to cover her mouth to stop herself crying out Khan's name.

Hurriedly, she ran back to the box and untied the old rope she'd used to lower it down the hill. It was barely long enough and she had to wade into the mud up to her thighs before she could throw it and have it reach Khan's hands. It just lay there on the surface of the mud between his fingers. She tugged it slightly, trying to rub it along his skin, letting him know it was there, if he was even still alive.

Suddenly, his hand grabbed the rope and pulled on it hard. Beth yelped and fell forward, deeper into the mud pit. She was up to her chest, but her feet could still touch the bottom, and she never did let go of the rope. Khan must have felt the rope give way because his grip remained strong on the other end but he didn't pull on it again. Dragging the rope behind her, Beth waded slowly out of the mud, feeling it sucking at her clothes and her shoes. Khan was so heavy but she kept going, her feet slipping out from under her on almost every step. Each second that passed she expected the rope to go limp as he gave up on her futile efforts to save him.

After what felt like hours, Beth heard a rasping, choking cough behind her. She laughed and wept with relief but didn't turn around. He wasn't safe yet. She kept pulling, trudging across the rocks until she couldn't take another step and collapsed in a heap on the ground. As she rolled onto her back, gasping for air, she felt a splash of water on her forehead, then another on her cheek and it started to rain again in earnest.

* * *

**Phew! It's good to see Beth taking a risk to save Khan, and Beth and Khan shippers can look forward to quite a reunion ;) Thanks for reading and all the great feedback!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"Khan."

The voice was as gentle as the rain falling on his face. He turned towards it. Maybe he was dead after all. "Look at me, Khan." Delicate fingertips brushed his closed eyes, wiping them clean.

He blinked them open. She was kneeling over him, her honey-colored hair hanging loose over her shoulder, rain running through it.

"Beth." He coughed out the name. It felt like his throat and stomach and everything else inside him was coated in mud. He rolled away from her and vomited onto the rocks. She stayed beside him, stroking his hair back from his forehead, letting the rain wash it clean.

"Can you stand?" she asked when he was finished. "We don't have long."

It hurt to move but he nodded his head. "Of course."

"I think Spock is still sick," she said and helped Khan to his feet. "What happened?"

But he just leaned on her, feeling her warmth and her strength. He'd thought he would never see her again, but really he was seeing her for the first time.

Beth looked down shyly. "We'll need this," she said, reaching for the rope in his hand. He hadn't even realized he was still holding it, and it took an act of will to unclench his fist so she could take it from him. "And this," she continued, going to retrieve a canvas shoulder bag laying on the ground. She handed it to Khan. "And I'll take this one." She proceeded to pick up a large, metal box, breathing heavily under its weight.

"Give it to me," Khan said, taking it from her. His ribs complained, but it was barely one hundred pounds; he could manage it easily.

Beth smiled. "Thank you. Don't open it. It has to stay dry."

"What is it?"

She took the other bag back. "A present, I suppose. Come with me."

She led Khan away from the mud flats, along a kind of creek bed that wound between tall boulders. It made him nervous not to be able to see where they were going. "Let me go in front," he said, but Beth didn't slow to let him past.

"We're almost there," she assured him. "Watch your step." And after a few more yards Beth crouched down beside the creek. Khan saw over her head that they had reached the end of the path and Beth was kneeling at the edge of a precipice.

"What are you… no!" To Khan's horror, Beth slid over the side. He rushed forward, his feet skidding in the rocks at the edge.

"Careful!" Beth's voice called up from below. Khan looked down and saw her standing on a ledge about six feet beneath his feet. The water from the creek spilled over it in a waterfall that disappeared into mists below. "You can pass down the box. Use this."

Khan considered the rope she offered him and shook his head. "Step aside."

When she'd backed up he jumped the six feet, landing comfortably beside her, the box secure in his hands.

Beth gasped, grabbing his arm. "Don't do that," she said. "You could have fallen."

Khan smiled at her concern, however unfounded it was. "Sorry."

They were standing in front of a narrow opening in the rock face. Beth turned sideways to walk through it. Again, Khan felt a moment of anxiety when she disappeared from view, but then he heard her voice and saw her hand reaching back to him. "We'll be safe in here. No one else knows about it."

* * *

Beth helped Khan slide the box through the opening in the rock and when he squeezed through behind it there was a moment of darkness as his broad body completely filled the crevice. Beth shivered in the cool air and reached into the canvas shoulder bag for a small electric lamp. Its yellow glow was enough to show the damp walls of the cave and a dark opening at the other end.

"This way," she said quietly, pointing the lamp. "It's bigger through here."

Their footsteps echoed off the walls. "Watch the water," Beth told Khan, shining the lamp on the ground where persistent rivulets had worn narrow paths in the rock. "There's a kind of slippery moss."

"How did you find this place?" he asked her and his deep voice reverberated in the small space, making the hairs on Beth's arms stand up.

"The Enterprise was here for a couple of days, gathering samples for research. I was observing the insects that live along that creek we just came through. I noticed birds coming and going from below the bluff. I propelled down and found the cave. That time I went back up the same way, but when I came back that night I explored some more and found another exit. There is a tunnel that leads to the other side of the valley, maybe two miles from the base station."

"You came back at night on your own?"

Beth could hear the disapproval in Khan's voice. She stopped to look back at him. "Two science teams were overnighting. Everyone was bedding down in the same room – it was very close quarters – I thought I'd be better off on my own."

He nodded, understanding. "You have been hiding your whole life."

Beth looked away, wanting to change the subject and holding the lamp out in front of her. "Just wait until you see this."

They had reached a larger part of the cave where small crystals covered the walls, brightly reflecting the lamp light. They looked like stars in the night sky. Beth grinned up at Khan. "Aren't they beautiful?"

He nodded, looking just at her, not even glancing around the cave. "Beth," he said, putting down the box and stepping over it so he was beside her. "You saved my life." He touched her cheek. "Tell me why."

Beth closed her eyes, concentrating on the sensation of his fingers on her skin. There were so many reasons. "I feel like you're part of me," she said, and she held his hand to her cheek and turned her face into it. "We're connected here," she said, kissing his palm. Slowly she lowered his hand to her chest, placing it over her heart. "And we're connected here." She moved it again, over her womb, "and here." Taking a deep breath she moved his hand lower still, sliding it between her legs. "And here."

Khan let out a long, slow breath and placed his lips on Beth's forehead. He groaned as he slowly withdrew his hand. "I don't want to hurt you."

Beth nodded, thinking about kissing Spock earlier. She'd known it was a mistake as soon as it happened. She was just starting to realize what that kind of mistake could cost her, and Khan. "I don't want to hurt you either."

She took off the canvas bag and dropped it on the ground, then took Khan's hand and pulled on it until he followed. She led him toward the sound of running water, where rain was rushing down the rocks and spraying in a shower to the ground.

"It's cold," she warned him, "but it's clean and I want to see…" she blushed, realizing that she wanted to see everything. "I want to see how badly you're hurt."

She placed the lamp high on a rock and Khan followed her into the waterfall. The water was cool, but comfortable. It ran over his head and face, calming the cuts and bruises, washing him clean of mud and dried blood. Beth turned him to face the light, standing in the water with him, gently smoothing her fingers over his injuries. She pulled his head down to kiss each one.

Khan closed his eyes and Beth kissed them as well, and finally kissed his mouth. He returned the kiss, allowing her tongue to press between his lips and meeting it with his own, but Beth could feel him holding back. She rumbled in frustration, taking his shoulders in both her hands and pulling him even closer. She was more accustomed to being suffocated by too-ardent affections – she didn't know what to do with a reticent lover.

"Is it because I'm pregnant?" she finally asked, breaking the kiss, her lips tingling and almost numb. "You don't want me that way anymore?"

Khan shook his head, his shoulders shaking with laughter. "No, Beth," he said, taking her hand and placing it over his rigid cock. "I want you more than ever."

"Then…"

Before she could get out another syllable he picked her up and pushed her against the cave wall. He pressed himself between her legs and ground his hips against her. His voice was low and forbidding. "Is this what you want, Beth? You want me to fuck you hard and fast? To just take whatever I want from you?"

She held his gaze when he looked at her, his eyes almost pleading for permission. "Sometimes," she admitted, "But not now."

"Then tell me what you want." He lowered her to the ground, stroking his fingers through her wet hair. "I've never felt this way before. I've never wanted anything or anyone so much as I want you, and I've never been so afraid of having what I want."

Beth sighed, running her hands down the front of Khan's wet shirt. "You want me to tell you what I want?" she asked nervously. This was a point of no return. Her heart was beating so hard she was sure he could hear it, but she might as well admit it to Khan now that she'd finally admitted it to herself.

He nodded, closing his eyes with relief. "Please."

"Khan, I just want you to love me," Beth said. "Because I'm falling in love with you."

* * *

**Aww :) Glad they are finally alone together - talking and trying to understand each other and being so careful and almost clumsy as they figure out how to be together. More goodness (and hotness!) to come before they have to face the world outside their sanctuary :) ****Hope you enjoyed this chapter - t**hanks for reading, and all the reviews and follows and favs!


	31. Chapter 31

**Strong Caution: For mature readers only. Explicit sexual descriptions. Pick things up in the next chapter if you don't like that sort of thing :)**

* * *

**Chapter 31**

Khan peeled his wet shirt off over his head, watching Beth's face as her eyes roved down his chest. He loved the way she looked at him, so open with her desire. She reached out her hands, touching the muscles of his stomach, tracing lines through the mud as it was washed away by the waterfall.

"You're beautiful," she said, smiling slowly.

He tried to keep the demand out of his voice, fought to control his need. "Now you."

She nodded and arched her back to pull off her shirt. Khan's face was hard with concentration but he kept his hands gentle as he touched her. He cupped and caressed her naked breasts and Beth closed her eyes and sighed, pushing them into his hands. He bent to kiss her nipples and wrapped his arms around her back. She was still too thin - he wanted her soft and healthy - he kissed up her neck, reclaiming her mouth, pulling her closer. He wanted to kiss her everywhere.

There was a tug on the waist of his pants. He looked down and watched Beth unfasten them and start to take them off. She knelt down first to remove his mud-caked boots. Once he was naked she kept her eyes lowered, apparently concentrating on rinsing his clothes in the running water.

"Look at me," Khan told her, stroking her hair. He enjoyed the anticipation as she took her time to turn and face him, and eventually raised her eyes. They were wide as they tried to focus on his face but kept dipping to his erection, just inches away from her. He resisted the urge to guide her to it; he wanted her to be in control of every new experience.

Slowly she raised a hand to touch him, her fingertips brushing so lightly over the head of his penis that he thought he'd imagined it. Then she wrapped her hand around his shaft and its heat radiated through his entire body. "Oh, Beth," he murmured.

Looking into his eyes she stroked up and down the length of his member, her movements frustratingly languid compared to the immediacy of Khan's desire.

Encouraged by his appreciative groan, she leaned forward, and he could feel her breath on him. Then she kissed it - a soft, chaste kiss on the tip that almost made him lose control. He removed his hand from the back of her head before he did something he'd regret. He watched in fascination as Beth brushed her lips all over his manhood, opening her mouth slowly. Her hot, wet tongue tentatively licked at it, curling around the shaft, running beneath the head. When she got back to the tip she looked up and took him in her mouth.

Khan had received oral ministrations before, and from women with much more skill and experience than Beth, but he had never felt anything quite like this. Perhaps he was just imagining it because of the emotional and hormonal connection they shared, but it was like she knew exactly how to touch him and anticipate him – how to please him in ways even he didn't even know about. And the sight of her kneeling in front of him, bare-breasted and pink-cheeked and practically venerating his manhood – it was enough on its own to bring him to the edge.

"It feels wonderful," he told her, returning his hand to the back of her head, coiling his fingers in her hair. "Take your time, find a rhythm."

And she did, her mouth moving up and down with increasing confidence, her tongue unbelievably velvety on the sensitive underside of his cock. Her hands gripped his hips, her fingers digging into him. He was getting close, the pleasure was stretching and building to a breaking point. He could already feel himself getting dizzy…

* * *

"No," Khan suddenly said. Beth looked up as he stepped backwards, holding her at a distance. He turned away from her, squeezing his eyes closed.

"What…" she started to ask.

"No, don't even speak," he said. "I can't…" And he held his breath for several seconds before it shuddered out of him again.

Beth stood, covering her breasts. It was mortifying. "I'm sorry, did I… hurt you?"

"No," he said quickly, turning back to her. "Not at all." He pulled her into his arms and held her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Then what?" Surely she had done it right. It had _felt_ right. She had liked having him in her mouth, loved the pleasure it seemed to give him. She'd felt his cock get even harder right before he'd pulled away, felt his hips pressing forward to meet her. She was sure he was about to climax.

He leaned back and turned her face up to his. "The last time I had an orgasm I passed out. Dr. Neel had given me something – a drug that drained all my energy after we had sex. I don't know if it's still in my system." He kissed her gently; apologetically. "You were astonishing, but I don't want to cum yet." He smiled. "I don't want to fall over on you when we're just getting started."

The next kiss was more passionate. He lowered Beth's arms, uncovering her breasts again, his eyes consuming her. "There are too many things we haven't done, and we have all afternoon and all night."

Beth shivered as Khan stared. "What sort of things?" she asked. She raised her right hand to her neck and trailed her fingers down her chest, over the rise of her breast, teasing her own nipple. Khan was mesmerized as he watched her hand travel lower and finally hook over the waistband of her trousers. She hesitated and then turned around and kicked off her shoes. Looking back at him over her shoulder she began to lower the pants, revealing her backside as she undressed.

As soon as she'd stepped out of her clothes, Khan was behind her. His cock pressed hard against her buttock as his arms encircled her. His left hand squeezed her right breast, his right hand cupped her vulva, pressing his fingers into her wetness. He kissed her neck, biting it gently as his fingers stroked around her clitoris. It was already swollen and aching and Beth moaned, pushing back at him. Cool water ran down his arm and over her hot flesh.

"Tell me what you want," he said. "Tell me what you like."

She wanted everything he could give her. She liked everything miniscule thing he did. But he sounded so earnest that she considered the questions as his fingers drifted slowly up and down her sex.

"Put them inside me," she said in a hoarse whisper. Not sure that he'd heard her she put her own hand over his, guiding two of his fingers to her entrance. His cock pushed against her hip, straining to take his fingers' place as they penetrated her. Her own hand lingered and his fingers slid between hers on their way in and out, coating them with her juices. She loved that he made her so aroused, loved the feel of his skin meeting hers, of his strong hand touching her so tenderly.

Beth turned her head and kissed him over her shoulder and he immediately sucked her tongue into his mouth and pushed his fingers even deeper. The heel of his hand pressed against her clitoris. She mewled with pleasure, eliciting a soft growl from Khan as he hungrily kissed down her neck, her shoulder, anywhere his mouth could reach.

Her legs grew weak as her orgasm started to build. He caught her when they finally gave way and he held her easily, his hand moving in a consistent, persistent rhythm that her body could not resist. Beth gripped his arms as she started to climax and let out a long, guttural cry of pleasure.

* * *

Khan pulled Beth tight against his torso and slowed his pace, pushing his fingers deep while the center of his universe contracted around them.

"K… Khan," she stammered, completely collapsing in his arms. He picked her up and held her still-pulsing body to his chest. She smelled intoxicating, like sex and rain and mud, and sex. She was beautiful and vulnerable, breathless and smiling up at him. He kissed her lips gently. "I do love you," he said. He supposed he had for a long time, maybe even when he'd been intent on hurting her. Now he would cut off his own hand if it ever brought her pain.

She stroked his cheek with her right hand, brushed her fingers over his lips. She pushed one into his mouth and he sucked it slowly, tasting her juices. She was watching him curiously, completely aware of what she was doing to him. What man wouldn't love her?

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded, pushing a second finger against his lips. Khan licked them both, closing his eyes, savoring the flavor of her.

"Where?" he asked hotly, and looked around for a place to lay her down.

"Get the light," Beth said, pointing to the yellow lamp balanced on the rocks. He carried her to it and she picked it up and pointed it further into the cave. Khan followed the direction and soon saw a level shelf of rock, about two feet off the ground, with a crumpled pile of blankets on top of it.

"The night I stayed here I brought a few things," Beth explained. "Please put me down."

He did so, reluctantly, and his eyes roamed over her naked body as she went about shaking out the blankets and laying them on the flat rock. When she was done she had one small blanket still folded in her arms. She looked embarrassed as she held it out to Khan.

He looked at it, confused. "What am I to do with that?"

"I don't know," she said, "I thought maybe…" Her voice trailed off as she sat down on the bed, her face tantalizingly close to his penis. It responded immediately, remembering her earlier attentions.

Beth put the small blanket on the ground by her feet and Khan finally understood. "Thank you." He had never known anyone so thoughtful. He knelt on the blanket, his face level with hers. He pushed her hair back from her face. "Tell me what feels good," he said. "And tell me if it's ever too much, or not enough."

She nodded, and looked so anxious that Khan had second thoughts. "Are you sure, Beth? There are lots of other ways…"

But she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him passionately and Khan could feel the excitement in her skin. He relaxed, stroking his fingertips up her sides from her waist to the back of her neck. She trembled as he laid her back and ran his hands down her body, over her shoulders, down her breasts and ribs and stomach, passing by her sex and coming to rest on her thighs.

When he squeezed them in his hands Khan could feel her legs pull together. He enjoyed the long moment as her desire fought to overcome her nerves. As he waited he rubbed wide circles into her soft skin with his thumbs, and eventually her muscles stopped quivering.

Khan gently pulled her knees apart and leaned down between them. He kissed the smooth insides of her thighs, feeling her body arch in anticipation. He positioned her legs on his broad shoulders and wrapped his arms around the tops of her thighs, his hands coming down from above to stroke the soft hair of her sex. He kissed it lovingly and slid his tongue up and down its length. Beth gasped in shock and pleasure and Khan was suddenly extremely grateful for the blanket she had given him to kneel on; this was somewhere he would be spending a very long time.

* * *

**I get so nervous writing the sex scenes, like you'll all think I'm a pervert (after everything with Dr. Neel, how could you not!) but I hope they're fun to read. Thanks for all the reviews and encouraging posts - they are very appreciated :) Please let me know what you think of this one, and thanks for reading!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Khan lay awake beside Beth, listening to her breathing. She was tucked under his left arm, her head on his chest, and Khan rested his hand on the side of her neck, feeling her pulse, pleased with how strong and steady it was. He was glad she was finally sleeping, and he was glad she'd brought food from the station with her. It was just dried meat and some packets of grain – but it was enough and he'd refused to let her share.

There were birds in the forest, and Beth had talked of game living further up the mountains, so they would not starve. Khan allowed himself a fantasy of living on Centula with Beth – he would hunt and she would gather and they would teach their children all about this world, and many others. As much as Khan knew he had to find a way off the planet, he also wanted to stay right where he was, forever.

Beth's pulse quickened under Khan's fingers and he looked down at her, wondering if she was waking or just having a dream. He wanted her to sleep, but was also anxious to kiss her again, be inside her again. He'd had her five different ways since they'd arrived in the cavern, and it still wasn't enough. He didn't think it could ever be enough.

He felt her eyelashes fluttering against his skin as her eyes blinked open. He waited for her to look up at him, to smile at him again, but she didn't move.

"Beth?" he finally asked, and she started like she'd been caught doing something wrong. Khan's mind immediately went to Spock. Had she been thinking about him? Khan had no doubt that she was his now, but was Spock still in there somewhere? "Look at me," he said and she turned her head, keeping her eyes down. "What is it?" he asked.

"I have to tell you something," she whispered. "Part of me doesn't want to, but you deserve to know."

Khan kept his voice level, even as his mind raced to the worst possibilities. "Then tell me."

"I'm afraid of how you'll react."

He stroked her shoulder, squeezing her gently. "You needn't be."

"Okay." She sat up, covering herself with a blanket. Khan did the same and turned to face her.

"Spock told me something," she began, looking down at her hands.

Khan couldn't hide his disdain. "About me?" he asked scathingly.

"About your crew."

He had not expected that. "What of them?"

"He told me they're still alive." She looked up at him in the silence that followed. "Khan?"

"No." Khan shook his head. "I saw the torpedoes. I was on the ship where they blew up."

"I know, but Spock said he had your crew removed from the torpedoes before you beamed them onto your ship."

"No," he said again. It wasn't possible.

"I think Dr. Neel knew as well. There was a moment on the shuttle, when the doctor seemed to question Spock's claim that he'd killed your crew. Spock said it was important for everyone, especially Dr. Neel himself, that _you_ didn't question it. I don't know how Dr. Neel knew your crew were alive. Maybe he had them at the outpost where he was keeping you. I don't know."

Khan stood up, unable to sit any longer. The thought that his crew – his people – might have suffered at the hands of that monster made him sick with fury. He wished he could bring Neel back and punish him again. He would make Spock's bloodbath look like a mere temper tantrum.

"Khan?" Beth stood as well, looking at him worriedly. "What are you thinking?"

He turned to her, remembering her screams from the recording, and how she was just a shell of a human after Neel's treatment. He thought of the female members of his crew, and how much stronger they were, and how much more torture it would take to break them like that. "I have to find out what happened to them," Khan told her.

"How?" she asked. "Dr. Neel is dead. You don't even know if he ever had your crew. I was just saying…"

"Then I'll ask your friend," he snapped. "He may have spared them, but that makes him responsible." Khan went to where their clothes were laid out and started to dress.

Beth followed him, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. "And what will you do when you find out?"

"Whatever it takes," he growled. "Rescue the survivors. Ensure their safety. Find anyone who harmed them and exact a fitting justice."

Beth just watched him silently for a minute as he pulled on his boots. "What about me?"

"What _about_ you?" Khan asked. He couldn't think with her so close to him. It was enough that she knew and had told him. He was grateful but she couldn't be involved in a mission of retribution. "It has nothing to do with you. You can't come with me. You'll stay here where you're safe."

"So Spock was right," she said, turning away from him.

Khan laughed bitterly, looking around for his shirt. "Isn't that what he's best at?" He found it and pulled it on.

"He told me you wouldn't want me anymore."

"Well he would say that, wouldn't he? He was manipulating you. He wants you for himself, Beth. Don't you see that?"

"I know he wants me. He even said if I wanted to keep the babies he would help me raise them on New Vulcan."

The thought of Spock holding his children, teaching his children, living with Beth as her husband was like a knife in Khan's throat. He couldn't breathe or swallow or talk for a moment. He just stared at Beth as he struggled to regain control of himself. "Why would he even think that was a possibility?" he finally asked. She looked away and Khan felt a spasm of fear in his stomach. "Is it a possibility?" Was everything they'd done and shared a lie?

"No," she said quickly, but still couldn't look at him.

"What are you not telling me?" he demanded, reaching out and grabbing her arm. He had to restrain himself so he didn't hurt her. He wanted to shake her, make her tell him that she _did_ love him, _did_ want him. "You know I'll find out."

She nodded. "I kissed him," she said quietly. Khan relaxed his grip. He already knew that, or at least guessed it, or maybe imagined it so many times that he thought he'd seen it in her files. "On the shuttle," she continued, and once she started talking it all rushed out of her. "When we were entering the planet's atmosphere. I fell and he just… snapped out of his trance. He caught me, maybe saved me. I was so glad he was better that I hugged him and he kissed me and I didn't stop him. There was nothing else, just a kiss, barely one or two minutes. I knew it was wrong, it wasn't what I wanted, but… Ow, Khan, stop! You're hurting me!" Her eyes were watering in pain and Khan looked down at his hand around her arm. He released her and saw the imprint he'd left behind on her skin.

"One or two _minutes_?" was all he could say. He imagined what must have gone through Spock's mind in that time – how many depraved thoughts he'd had, how many different ways he'd fantasized about getting rid of Khan and taking his place.

"I'm sorry." Beth hung her head and reached out for Khan but he pulled away, knowing he would not be able to think straight with her touching him. "I regretted it as soon as it happened," she said. "Partly for giving him false hope, but mostly because I think I already knew by then that you were what I wanted."

Khan saw the tears in her eyes and wanted to believe them. "How do I know that?" he asked. "Maybe you saw what Spock did to me yesterday, and realized that he was still deranged and maybe always would be. How do I know you didn't rescue me to save yourself? That you didn't choose me only because you _couldn't_ choose him?"

Beth looked hurt as she glared at him. Khan wondered how she always managed to be the victim with him. "Do you think I need you to save me?" she asked, her voice severe and cold as she straightened to her full height. "You didn't protect me from Dr. Neel and I survived. You tried to torture and control me but I didn't let you. Despite everything you've done I still let you into my heart, and I am willing to let you into my life, but don't think for a second that I can't survive without you."

She threw off the blanket she'd been using to cover herself. Instead of making her vulnerable, her nakedness seemed to empower her. She wore it like armor, to show she was strong and impermeable. "Do you want proof that I chose you because I love you?" she asked, but before Khan could reply she turned away from him and went to the metal box they'd brought into the cave. She opened it and extracted a large, glowing orb. "Do you know what this is?" she asked, holding it up. As she walked back to him Khan realized it wasn't glowing, but merely reflecting all of the light in the cave, multiplying it, appearing brighter and brighter until it was brighter even than the electric lamp.

He shook his head, momentarily distracted by its beauty. "What is it?"

"It's the signal amplifier for the transistor in the research station," Beth said. "It gives the communication signals enough strength to break through the electromagnetic barrier of the planet. For all you know, it's the only way off this planet. Spock told me to hail the Enterprise and tell them where we were. I didn't do that. Instead, I stole this for you, so he couldn't contact anyone, so only you could, whoever you wanted, whenever you were ready. I did that before I knew Spock was still sick, before I knew he tried to kill you. I did it because I wanted to give you a choice, and to give us a chance." She threw the orb at him and he reached to catch it. It was heavy and warm. "So take it, Khan, and make your choice, and if you want to use it to leave me then go ahead, but just know that if you take off from this planet without me I promise you won't be able to find me when you come back."

* * *

**And just when things were going so well between them! Was she right to tell Khan about his crew? What about the kiss? Did she go too far? Was she just trying to hurt him, or was it all for honesty's sake? Now we know what was in the box, but what will Khan do with it? Thanks for reading, and for the support on the last smutty chapter ;)**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Spock trekked the path from the research station to the crashed shuttle, his eyes scanning the forest for any sign of life that wasn't native to Centula. When he'd awoken that morning, alone in the research station, he'd realized large portions of his memory were missing. It was similar to the episode on the shuttle with Dr. Neel. He knew what he had done then because of the reactions of Beth and Khan, and because he had seen the doctor's body afterwards, but he had no memory of actually beating Neel within a micron of death.

The day they'd crashed on Centula was full of similar holes. He remembered the storm and kissing Beth and then sending her ahead to the research station to hail the Enterprise. After that, everything was a blur. Khan had survived the crash and Spock had tried to lead him away from the station. There was a visceral memory of great and terrible emotion, but it was like a dark shadow in his mind and Spock could not recall the cause or result of it.

Today he felt more physically and mentally fit than he had in a week – sharp and in control of his senses and emotions. He had eaten and showered and changed his muddy clothes, but that was all he could do; the signal amplifier in the research station was missing so he could not send a message to Starfleet. He was hoping to find a substitute amplifier in the crashed shuttle, perhaps whatever had been used to boost the power for the cloaking device.

As the shuttle came into view, its nose half-buried in red gravel, Spock stopped and waited behind a stand of trees, drawing a phaser left behind at the research station. If Khan was lying in wait for him somewhere, this was the most logical place. After half an hour's wait there was still no sign of anyone and Spock moved forward, leaping through the shuttle's open aft doors.

He quickly searched the shuttle to confirm he was alone. He was, and as he holstered the phaser Spock wondered again where Khan was, and Beth. Had she even made it to the research station? She had not hailed the Enterprise or it would have arrived hours ago. Had she removed the amplifier to stop Khan using it? Or was it in Khan's possession? Had Beth been able to hide herself? Had Khan already found her? Spock thought of what Khan would do to Beth when he did find her – hurt her and probably worse. Spock waited to feel a surge of irrational fury, but it never came.

"Curious," he said to himself. He was concerned for Beth's safety, but it was more concern for a subordinate and a friend than a potential mate. He wondered if Beth's effect on him was fading now that he was no longer in her presence, or perhaps a side-effect of Dr. Neel's synthetic injection was developing an immunity to her anomalous pheromones.

Spock went into the cockpit to search for an access panel to the cloaking device but the controls and half of the floor were buried in rocks. He did see a medical tablet lying in a corner. Its screen was cracked but it looked intact. He recognized it as Dr. Neel's and picked it up. Perhaps the device would have more information on the injection he'd received, and if he could expect more lapses in memory or other side-effects. He put it into a shoulder bag he'd brought from the research station.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Spock didn't immediately turn around to face Khan. He had the phaser on his hip but surely Khan would see if he reached for it. He looked at the rocks piled up in front of him and considered grabbing one as a weapon. The thought brought back a fragment of a memory of picking up rocks in both his hands and being pleased by their weight and sharp edges. He felt the dark shadow of emotion stir up around the memory – this was something his brain was trying to shield him from.

"I have now," he said, keeping his voice light as he turned around. Khan stood in the cockpit door.

His calculating eyes were as watchful as ever, but Spock thought he saw surprise cross the Augment's face for a second. "You were looking for me?" But then Khan pulled out an old-fashioned tranquilizer rifle normally used to sedate and tag larger animals in the mountains. He pointed it at Spock. "That's a coincidence; when I didn't find you at the station I got worried about you. I thought you'd finally decided to do the noble thing."

Spock frowned. "The noble thing?"

"I think if I had murdered the woman I love I would want to kill myself as well."

* * *

Khan wanted to enjoy Spock's guilt and shame but was met instead with a wall of logical shrewdness.

"You will understand if I do not believe you," the Vulcan said coolly. "You are not a reliable source of information when it comes to Lieutenant Walker."

"Of course, you've blocked it out, haven't you, Spock? How convenient for you. Maybe you don't remember her screams for mercy," Khan continued, trying to find a knife to twist, "But I'll never forget them. That's how I finally found you, but I was too late. You had already raped her and you were beating her with rocks. I stopped you but…" Khan let his voice fade and his eyes fill with tears and was glad to finally see a crack of doubt beginning to spread across Spock's face.

"With rocks?" Spock asked, looking down at his hands.

Khan watched Spock's reaction and guessed he still had some residual memories from the previous day. Khan needed to keep his story to places and events that might resonate with those memory fragments. "You were possessed. We fought and ended up in the mud pits downhill from the station."

"Mud pits," Spock repeated, nodding, and Khan noticed Spock had also cleaned himself up since then. He doubted the process had been as enjoyable for the commander as it had been for himself and Beth.

He pretended to be overcome with emotion as he took a moment to refocus. "You left me for dead. I barely got out with my life. I went back to Beth and buried her in the forest so the animals wouldn't get her."

"If you buried her, you can show me where," Spock said with too much hope in his voice for Khan's liking.

"I will never let you see her again," he said venomously. "But I'll show the security and medical teams once the ship arrives."

Spock's confusion was clear. "What ship?"

"Now that I know you're still alive I'm going to contact Starfleet," Khan told him. "When I tell them the first Vulcan officer to graduate from Starfleet Academy has raped and murdered one of their own they'll send the closest ship in the quadrant, especially after the scandal at Dr. Neel's outpost."

"Surely the ship they'll send would be the Enterprise."

Khan knew all he had to do was allege to Starfleet that Captain Kirk had protected Spock in the past from charges of sexual assault and the Enterprise would not be allowed within a hundred million miles of Centula. Khan remembered from Beth's medical records that the details of Spock's incident with her on the Enterprise had been glossed over, if not quite covered up. There was no point in sharing that with Spock at this time, though. Let him have hope that Captain Kirk would get him out of trouble again. "Then the Enterprise will have the privilege of hosting you in its brig – maybe they'll give you my old cell."

Spock continued to frown. "Why are you doing this, Khan? It does not make sense for you to contact Starfleet. Even if I get arrested, you will also be captured, possibly returned to cryosleep."

"Beth was the only family I had left, Spock; Beth and the babies she was carrying. You killed my crew – my first family – and probably got a commendation. Now you've defiled and murdered my new family and I have nothing left."

Khan watched Spock closely and wondered if there was any kind of internal struggle going on behind the Vulcan mask. Surely any human – even a half-human mongrel – would take pity on Khan and tell him his crew was still alive. "If I did that to Beth, Khan, I am truly sorry, but know I only did it because of the injection Dr. Neel gave me."

Apparently Spock required more persuading. "An injection you volunteered for," Khan reminded him bitterly.

"Then why not just kill me?" Spock asked, again with too much hope. "It would be the logical thing to do."

"It is tempting to punish you by my standards, Commander, but it is more effective to punish you by your own. Killing you would be too easy, too merciful. Disgracing you in front of Starfleet and your friends and your people, that is a fitting punishment. I would gladly go back to cryosleep for a thousand years to make you suffer like that."

Spock nodded, understanding and believing him. It was critical that Spock believe him. Otherwise he would find a way to warn whatever ship did come to Centula that they were flying into a trap. It would be much cleaner and easier, and Khan would end up with a lot more hostages to bargain with, if that wasn't allowed to happen.

* * *

**So, Khan's on the warpath already and everyone better look out! Beth will not be happy with him. And poor Spock believing that he raped and killed Beth! How will that affect him, even with his newfound mental strength? Thanks for reading and all the reviews - they are fun and encouraging for me to see :) and Evon I will consider a separate story for Spock if he survives this one ;) I hope you all like this chapter.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Warning: Mature content in this chapter (between the 2nd and 3rd line breaks).**

* * *

**Chapter 34**

Beth did not hurry back to the cave. She hoped Khan would return to find it empty. He had told her not to leave while he was gone, but if he wanted to control her then he could tie her up again - at least there would be no more pretense between them.

She had asked him to go with her to the far side of the valley, where there was a large disused storage facility and some barracks built into the mountains. She'd spotted it during her first visit to Centula - it had not been included in the planet dossier provided to the science teams - and although she'd not had the time to properly explore, she could remember a kind of empty hangar with engineering equipment. She thought maybe they would find what they needed to repair their medevac shuttle.

But Khan had not listened to her. He was more concerned with finding Spock and learning about the fate of his crew. She could understand his need to know what happened to them, and even try to save them if he could, but she also knew what that meant for her. Khan had initially been repulsed and offended by the idea of her carrying his offspring. His crew might feel the same, and could see her, and especially her unborn children, as a threat to his loyalty and leadership. If they couldn't accept her, Khan would be forced to choose, even if he didn't want to think about that now. She could not trust that he would choose her, and she even knew there was a chance that he could turn against her if the time came. Maybe it would be better if he did leave her behind.

Rather than dwell on that sad thought, Beth took her time exploring the facility in the mountains. It was larger than she'd first realized, extending deep into the bedrock. It had been stripped bare before being abandoned. There were no computers and no furniture, just a handful of tins of pineapple and beets in the kitchens, and a few personal effects in some of the lockers. She collected what she could carry: a hairbrush, a hand mirror, some paper-bound books, half a bar of soap, a plush toy dolphin and all the clothes she could find. She put them into a large laundry bag along with the tins of food.

In an officer's room she also found a stack of hand-drawn maps. Many of them were of Centula's fertile valley. Some showed the location of fresh water and edible plants, most of which she already knew. Others showed various buildings, including this facility, the research station and its storage sheds, and also another small cluster of buildings to the south that she'd never heard of. Why had these buildings also been omitted from information provided to the science teams? Had anyone on the Enterprise known about them? It was impossible to scan the planet's surface from space, so maybe even Captain Kirk and the Bridge crew had not realized their existence. Beth expected that Centula's geomagnetic atmosphere made it an ideal planet to hide almost anything from prying sensors - not just fugitive Augments and inconveniently pregnant lieutenants.

She wanted to find out what was in those southern buildings, but if the hand-drawn map was scaled correctly, they were twelve miles away, and over some fairly rough terrain. She might be able to reach them before dark but she certainly wouldn't be able to return. Without knowing what she would find, she would be risking getting stuck outside in the open overnight. She would try the following day, and maybe she could pique Khan's interest enough that he would go with her.

* * *

Khan ran through the tunnel, his speed fueled by fury and fear. He carried a torch and its narrow beam of light bounced and flashed off the walls as he swung his arms, but it was enough. Every time he got to a fork he had to stop and calm himself and let his senses take over so he could track her scent. The foolish woman - if she had left the safety of the caverns, Khan didn't know what he would do. Especially while she thought Spock was still running amok on the surface - why would she take such a risk? To be stubborn and prove to him that she could do it?

Stopping a moment to check a deep hole for her dead body, Khan heard footsteps approaching from the opposite end of the tunnel. It was Beth; he would know her walk anywhere. Equal parts angry and relieved, he turned off his light and stood in the dark in middle of the tunnel, waiting for her. Soon enough he saw her small yellow lamp approaching, bobbing as she walked at a leisurely pace. Couldn't she imagine the panic she'd just put him through? Did she really think she could just casually stroll back after disobeying a direct order?

When she got closer he could see her more clearly. She was alright - walking easily with no sign of injury. Her face was calm, but she looked lost in thought. Her lips were darker than usual, almost like she was wearing lipstick. She had changed out of the blue uniform and into casual clothes - a light-colored jacket, short dark skirt and black tights. She was carrying a large white sack, half dragging it by her side.

Suddenly she stopped as she spotted Khan. Her eyes were looking straight at him. He considered walking up to her and... and what? Slapping her? Kissing her? Hurting her? Hugging her? He didn't know what to do with this infuriating woman.

She spared him the decision and after taking a deep breath she walked up to him and threw the white sack at his feet. "You can carry this, since you're here. It's getting heavy."

Khan picked it up, hearing the muffled clinking of metal inside the sack. What in this world had she brought back with her? Her breath smelled sweet and acidic and Khan guessed the redness of her lips was from eating some sort of berries or fruit she'd found in the forest. He stared at them, wanting desperately to taste them, to lick and kiss them. He felt himself getting hard at the thought and without a word he leaned down, grabbed Beth around her thighs and hoisted her over his shoulder. She shouted in indignation and thumped his back with her fists, but it barely registered as Khan felt a dangerous combination of anger and arousal course through him.

He carried her all the way back to the main cavern and dumped her unceremoniously on the blankets. She looked up at him with a combination of fear and excitement that made him want to ravage her without mercy. But he held himself back as her eyes were drawn to his obvious erection.

"This is one of those times, Khan," she said, licking her lips and looking back up at his face. He felt like she could see everything he was thinking. "I want you to fuck me hard and fast and just take whatever you want."

Khan dropped the white sack on the floor and fell on Beth, crushing his lips against hers and pulling at her clothes. She reached for his cock, squeezing it in her hand and moaning loudly into his mouth. She helped him pull her tights down and then fumbled with his pants. Khan was almost painfully aroused and pushed her hands away to do it himself. When his manhood was freed he turned her over and lay her flat on her stomach and pulled her tights down some more so he could spread her legs and get between them.

He could not be inside her fast enough and as he pushed himself forward Beth pushed herself back at him. The heat of her was overwhelming and Khan groaned and had to give himself a moment to adjust. He reached a hand around in front of her and pushed it up her shirt, roughly groping and squeezing her breast. She gasped and twisted beneath him and Khan felt every one of her muscles move independently along the length of her body. "Fuck me, Khan," she begged.

He started slow, just enjoying the feel of her, kissing and sucking on her neck, leaving behind love bites and teeth marks. Each time he pushed into her she cried out and the harder he pushed the louder her cries of pleasure. It drove Khan mad with desire and soon he was not holding himself back - he took every ounce of pleasure that he could from Beth's body as it bucked beneath him, and when he finally came, his orgasm thundered through him like a series of explosions. A moment later Beth shuddered to an equally violent climax and Khan collapsed on top of her, wishing he could just stay pinning her down like this so she would never leave his sight again.

* * *

It took Beth several minutes to catch her breath, even after Khan finally rolled off her. He kept her close with his arm wrapped around her waist as he started to fall asleep. When she tried to slip away his arm tightened. "Where are you going?" he asked quickly, suddenly awake.

She lay her hand over his and squeezed it, lifting his arm away from her. "I'm hungry," she said.

He let her go and she could feel his eyes on her as she pulled her tights back up and rearranged her new clothes. She went to pick up the white bag from the floor.

"What did you find?" he asked her, propping himself up on one elbow.

Beth sat beside him and started pulling items out of the sack, starting with a handful of small hard-skinned fruit. She handed one to Khan. "It's like a passion fruit," she said. "You split it open and lick out the seeds."

He took it from her with a crooked smile and smelled it. "I'd rather lick out something else."

Beth blushed and quickly looked back in the bag. "And there are these." She presented the tins of pineapple and beets from the mountain facility.

He inspected them. "What kind of tree did these grow on?"

She laughed, relieved that he was being so playful and lighthearted. Things must have gone well with Commander Spock. "Did you learn anything about your crew?" she asked.

"Finish showing me what you've got, first," Khan said, maintaining his light tone.

Beth pulled out the clothes, pleased that Khan seemed to show an interest in some of the men's items she'd found. She imagined he didn't get much enjoyment out of wearing a Starfleet uniform. Next were the books and the hairbrush and other toiletries. She hesitated before pulling out the plush toy dolphin. "I don't even know why I brought this," she said, looking away as she put it down in front of him.

He picked it up, holding it gently as he looked into the dolphin's eyes. "Yes you do," he said. "It's too bad there weren't two of them. I guess they'll have to share."

Beth frowned. "We can get them whatever toys we like when we leave Centula," she said pointedly. She watched Khan as he seemed unable to meet her eyes.

She pulled out the hand-drawn maps and lay them out in front of him. "I think we should take a look at these buildings tomorrow." She pointed to the drawing of buildings in the south. "We might find what we need to fix the shuttle in the mountain facility, but I think we might find an actual ship in one of these."

He regarded the papers with minimal interest, and seemed more taken with the dolphin, which he was still holding and stroked absently with the backs of his fingers. "Why do you say that?"

Beth pointed to the space between the buildings. "Don't you think this flat ground in the middle is the right size for a landing pad? Maybe for Antares or Oberth class ships?"

He barely glanced at where she was pointing. "Maybe, but it's just someone's drawing, Beth. I looked at the Federation map of Centula and the only buildings it showed in the valley were the research station and some storage areas."

"Exactly!" Beth pointed to the mountain facility. "It was also missing this one."

"Beth." Khan put the dolphin down and took her hand. "This is a waste of your time. I don't need to find a ship."

"What do you mean? Of course you do. How else are we going to get off this planet?"

Again he couldn't look at her. He let go of her hand. "You're not leaving this planet, Beth, at least not for a while, probably not until after the babies are born." He held up his hand as soon as Beth opened her mouth to argue. "And I've already found a suitable ship for myself. An Akira Escort ship. It will be here this time tomorrow."

* * *

**Wow, Khan doesn't waste any time, and Beth had better act quick! Details to come about his plan and how he arranged this Escort ship. Centula is about to get a lot more crowded, and not even Khan knows what he's about to set in motion :) Thanks for reading, and for the comments, follows and favs! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

Beth could not speak for a moment. She raised a hand to strike Khan, but what was the point? He didn't even show her the respect of pretending to flinch.

He was going to leave her. The ship was only one day away.

When she'd considered it earlier it had been some far off possibility, maybe after the babies were born, and maybe by then he wouldn't want to leave. But one day? How was she supposed to change his mind in one day?

"So why did you even come back here?" she finally asked, waving her hand over the blankets. "You want to sleep with me a few more times before you abandon me?"

"You're being melodramatic," Khan said, in the patronizing tone Beth realized he used when she'd hurt him and he wanted to pretend otherwise. "I'm not abandoning you, I'm protecting you."

"By leaving me alone, and pregnant, on Centula?"

"By keeping you away from the conflict that we both know is coming, and you won't be alone while I'm gone."

"You'd leave me here with Spock?" Even if the commander were in his right mind she couldn't believe Khan would consider it.

"He will be coming with me. The ship arriving tomorrow is called the Ishita – I downloaded its personnel files when I hailed it today. There are five female officers on board: three in its medical team and two in security. They will all stay here on the planet with you, along with whatever equipment and supplies they'll need to keep you safe and healthy. All three of you."

"So you're going to kidnap five more women?" Beth didn't know why she felt the sharp edge of jealousy wrapped within her confusion and disgust.

Perhaps Khan sensed it because he stood and took her by her shoulders, looking seriously into her eyes. "I am kidnapping a crew of fifteen, and seizing their ship. It is nothing compared to what I would do to protect you, or what I would do if I lost you. I would destroy worlds for you, Beth."

She believed him and the thought made her shiver with an icy thrill. "But could you live peacefully on one?"

He nodded. "When everyone I love is safe and free, I will be at peace." And he kissed her, and wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Believe me, I do not want to leave you, not even for a minute let alone months or a year, or more."

"Then don't go," she pleaded, hugging him back. "What if you get hurt, or killed? I'll never see you again. I'll never know if you're dead or captured or if you just decided to leave us here to rot."

"I would never…"

"I know you feel that way now, but what if you're successful and your crew has other ideas? What if they give you an ultimatum? Would you choose me over them?"

"I am their leader. It is not their place to give me ultimatums." But Beth heard the creeping doubt in his voice. He knew it was a possibility. "And no matter what, I would never leave you here to rot."

"But what…"

"And if something did happen to me and I did fail to return, there will be another Starfleet science team visiting Centula in five years' time. I checked the log at the research station and there is a visit every five years to take readings and measure animal populations and gather new samples. You were part of the last team when the Enterprise stopped here. You would be rescued."

Beth imagined living on Centula for five years. There was a time, back on the Enterprise, when it had been a dream of hers. Now the small, fertile valley felt like a prison. And if everything went well and everyone survived, she would be trapped there with five women and two children. The valley would feel very small indeed. Surely the women would turn on her. After all, she was the reason Khan was planning to keep them here.

No. She had already decided. She would not wait for him. Khan had made up his mind to leave her, and it was time for her to start taking care of herself.

"I can't breathe," Beth said, twisting herself out of his arms. He let her go but followed her closely as she picked up a man's coat from the pile of clothes she'd brought back from the mountain facility. "I brought this for you, but you'll understand that I probably need it more."

As she started to pull it on Khan took it out of her hands. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Anywhere away from you."

He did not look hurt, but again his patronizing tone betrayed him. "We don't have time for this, Beth. You're right that I came back here to… be with you again. I'd like to again now, but I can't spend the whole night. I need to return to the station and make preparations for our visitors."

"What if I say no?"

"I'm not going to rape you, if that's what you mean. That would be a charming memory to leave you with."

Beth looked away. "What kind of preparations?"

Khan reached out, stroking her shoulder until she looked back at him. "The orb you gave me has proved very useful. I can't thank you enough. If you hadn't removed it from the communications console I may not have thought to reroute other systems through its panel to amplify their signals."

"What do you mean? What kinds of systems?"

"The outbound sensors. The transporter."

"The transporter in the station? I doubt it's ever been turned on. You can't beam on and off Centula. The geomagnetic…"

"The geomagnetic field is just interference, it's not a physical barrier. The orb was designed to cut through its noise. I've already found that the sensors can get accurate readings outside the planet, and tonight I'm going to reconfigure and test the transporter."

"Test it how?" she asked, and then a sick thought occurred to her. "You're not going to beam Spock out into open space, are you?"

Khan laughed darkly. "The thought had occurred to me, but no, I doubt Spock will cooperate if he knows I have a transporter at my disposal. I've captured some rodent-type animals for the test."

"So Spock is cooperating with you?" Beth was surprised, but also relieved.

"Up to a point."

"Where is he now? Can I see him?"

Khan narrowed his eyes jealously. "No, it would… disturb him in his delicate condition. He's in a holding cell at the station. He's perfectly safe; fed and watered."

"But he's better? He's recovered from the injection? Did you ask him about your crew?"

"Not yet. Once he'd helped me acquire the Ishita he'll find out why I need it."

"How is he going to help you acquire it?" Spock wouldn't be part of any kind of kidnap plot, delicate condition or otherwise.

"He's going to let them arrest him."

"Arrest him?" Beth asked. "Arrest him for what?"

"It's not important - it's a made-up charge but he thinks he's guilty and might even confess. It will convince the Ishita's captain that he needs to send a shuttle down onto the surface, and get them to lower their shields."

"So you can beam onto the ship," Beth surmised.

Khan shook his head. "No, not at first. I will beam the crew down onto the planet. I'm not going to risk my own life in the transporter after testing it on just a couple of rats." He smiled, but Beth was not amused. The joke was an acute reminder of how inhuman he could be.

"Now, come and lay with me," Khan said softly, and he pulled her arm and led her to the nest of blankets on the shelf of rock. "I won't molest you but I want to feel you beside me for a while. It might be the last time we're together for a long time."

And he lay down on his side and pulled her against him, locking her in place with one arm around her waist. Beth lay there rigidly as her mind whirled. She had to get to those southern buildings before the Ishita arrived. If she could find another way off the planet then maybe it would prove to Khan she was an asset that should not be left behind. They could find his crew together, with or without Spock. Or, if all else failed, it might be her own way off the planet without him. As soon as he left she would start the trek south. She would walk all night if she had to.

"I'm sorry, Beth," Khan whispered in her ear a second before she felt a strap tighten around her left wrist.

"What…?" she began to ask but Khan pulled her other wrist behind her back and fastened them together. "No!" she shouted, struggling uselessly against him. "Not again!"

"I'm sorry," he repeated, but he kept going, pulling her ankles up behind her back and tying them to her bound wrists. It was not tight enough to hurt, but Beth's pride and her heart were both broken.

"Why?" she asked, unable to stop herself from crying.

Khan stood back and his face was truly ashamed, but his voice was cold and determined. "You've proven I can't trust you on your own."

"It's already getting dark. Where do you think I'm going to go?" she asked, but they both knew where.

"And it will make it easier for you while I'm gone if the other women think you're my prisoner as well."

Beth wanted to hurt Khan as much as he'd hurt her. "I _am_ your prisoner!" she shouted. "That's all I've ever been, and it's all I'll ever be!"

He had no comeback for that, no patronizing sarcasm to save face in front of her. He reached down and stroked her hair and tucked a folded shirt under her head. He covered her with a blanket and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. Beth turned her face away and almost regretted it when she saw how pitiful he looked.

"I'll come back to check on you and feed you in the morning," he said quietly. "And then in the afternoon I'll bring the others." He hovered, looking down at her. "I'll leave the light on for you."

And then he was gone.

* * *

**Poor Beth, and Khan just keeps digging a deeper hole for himself with her. Will she ever forgive him for putting her in bonds again? This chapter was a bit of an information dump, but hopefully it was fun and interesting. And where is the Enterprise while all this is going on? It's been more than a week since Khan disappeared with Spock, Neel and Beth. Surely Captain Kirk is still looking for the lost members of his crew! Will find out all in time - thanks for reading :)**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

Captain Kirk lay awake in bed, trying to tune out the sound of the Enterprise's engines. It was normally a very soothing sound to him, but on this night – in fact every night for the past week – their hum had been a source of aggravation, because they were too quiet. The Enterprise was going nowhere, or rather it was going around in circles. First there was the wild goose chase with that doctor woman and her security guard boyfriend. They had led Kirk across three solar systems and almost gotten themselves killed by entering space belonging to a semi-hostile planet.

They had managed to break six conditions of an already-precarious peace treaty, and Kirk had had to stay behind for a whole day to smooth over the incident. The whole time all he could think was that Khan was getting further away with Spock, Lieutenant Walker and Dr. Neel.

By the time the Enterprise had returned to the medical outpost, the direction Khan had gone was anybody's guess. Would he choose a highly-populated planet in hopes of blending in? Would he go to an enemy world and forge an alliance against the Federation? He could go to Romulus; handing over a half-Vulcan Starfleet officer would surely buy his way into their confidences. Kirk had commandeered a courier ship from the outpost and dispatched Sulu and three security guards to do a sweep of space on the way to the Neutral Zone, just in case.

Meanwhile the Enterprise had warped back and forth across the sector five times, following up on every distress call, every report of unidentified ships. The whole time Kirk knew that maybe Khan hadn't gone anywhere and the shuttle was still cloaked, just a few kilometers away from where they'd started. It would be just like Khan to hide like a snake in the sand, waiting with super-human patience for the right time to strike.

But what would he do with Spock and his other prisoners during that time? Hurt Spock, Kirk presumed, in ways he knew he couldn't imagine, and if Lieutenant Walker's effect on men was as potent as everyone claimed, she was probably suffering an even worse ordeal. Kirk rolled over in bed, punching his pillow in frustration. He'd had Khan in the palm of his hand, not once, but twice! He could have ended it at any time – just killed Khan and his whole augmented crew. Instead he'd just handed them back to the Federation – the bunch that had allowed Khan to escape in the first place. Now they had let it happen a second time. How many more times were they going to unleash Khan on the galaxy before they finally destroyed him? Or would Khan destroy the Federation before that ever happened?

Kirk knew one thing: if he ever got Khan under his control again, the Augment would not get a third chance to escape.

Wide awake with thoughts of vengeance, Kirk welcomed the interruption when the door to his quarters chimed.

"Enter," he said, throwing aside the covers and sitting on the edge of his bed.

Lieutenant Uhura entered, still in her uniform though her shift had ended hours ago. Kirk did not allow his eyes to linger on her long legs, though he did have time to appreciate them before looking up at his communications officer. "You should be in bed," he told her, then quickly added, "Your own bed."

"I'm sorry, Captain," she said awkwardly, staring at Kirk, who was half naked in a pair of briefs. "I wouldn't disturb you except I think this is important."

Kirk stood and rubbed his eyes and moved to stand and look over Uhura's shoulder at her PADD. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"It's a subspace signal," she said, enlarging it for him. "I've been scanning Starfleet's secure frequencies."

"I guess I should remind you that's against regulation," Kirk said.

"I guess I should give a damn," Uhura replied.

Kirk knew why she was willing to take such a risk - she was more worried about Spock than anyone - Kirk certainly wasn't going to reprimand her over it. "Is it Khan?" he asked instead.

"I don't know, Captain, I only picked up one side of the conversation, and a partial conversation at that."

"How partial?"

"Just three words, from an escort ship called the Ishita in sector thirty-five-J."

"That's close," Kirk said hopefully – less than two hours away at maximum warp. "What were the three words?"

"I'll play them for you," she said, and tapped her PADD. There was static and a strange whistling noise in the background. "That's residue from the encryption," she explained, adjusting the controls to reduce the extra sound. Then Kirk thought he heard a low murmur under everything else. "Did you get it?" Uhura asked a few seconds later.

Kirk looked at her in surprise. "No." He knew she had sensitive hearing, but it was remarkable that she'd picked up the sound of voices at all, let alone deciphered actual words.

"I'll play it again," she said, but Kirk stopped her.

"Just tell me or we'll be here all night."

"Arrest Commander Spock," Uhura said, her eyes shining with excitement. "It doesn't make sense, but those are the words, I'd stake my career on it: arrest Commander Spock."

* * *

Khan worked quickly, but only half his mind was on the task at hand. He kept seeing Beth's face when he'd left her in the cave – a place that had been so special to him – the closest thing he'd had to a home in years. Now it would forever be tainted by his betrayal. He kept making mistakes with the wiring, and when he finally got the transporter functioning through the amplifier orb the sky was already getting light.

He picked up one of the rodents he'd caught – it was the size of an Earth cat – and put it on the floor. It had no predators on Centula so it was too stupid to run, Khan didn't even need to put down food to keep it still. He locked the transporter onto its form, adjusted for size and density, and beamed it across the room.

The test was successful and once it had rematerialized the giant rat looked around at its surroundings and gave the floor a few extra sniffs, but otherwise seemed undisturbed. Khan beamed it back to its original location and placed a second rat – even larger than the first – by its side. They regarded each other with minimal interest and Khan beamed them across the room in unison. This created much confusion for the larger rat, which turned and bit the smaller one, sending it scurrying under a cupboard.

"Thank you for volunteering," Khan told the larger one, and he took his time scanning a point in space just outside Centula's exosphere. There appeared to be no rocks or debris to cause injury to the animal, and Khan locked onto its signal and beamed it out into space. He monitored its signal for a few seconds and then beamed it back. It was screeching and kicking and when it finally realized it was back on solid ground it tore across the room to join the other rat under the cupboard.

Khan didn't mind; he was getting more comfortable with the controls, and more confident in the success of his handiwork connecting the transporter to the orb. He locked onto the signal of both rats, distinguishing them from each other and the surrounding furniture and beamed them both into space. Waiting just a few seconds again, he brought them back to the surface, this time just outside the research station. Khan went to the window just in time to see them both running for their lives into the protection of the forest. He noticed it was starting to rain.

Next he went to check on Spock in the holding cell. He took the rifle with him, even though Spock was behind a barred door. The Vulcan was sitting on the floor meditating. Khan threw a packet of dried grains and a plastic bag of water onto the floor inside the cell and when Spock didn't react Khan banged the gun against the metal bars. It took Spock several seconds to open his eyes.

"Why the rifle, if I may ask?" was Spock's first question. "A phaser is much more efficient."

Khan slung the rifle into the crook of his arm. "I grew up holding guns like this one. It feels wrong to shoot someone without leaving something inside them."

"Interesting," Spock said, "That is surprisingly sentimental. I assume you have replaced the tranquilizer darts with bullets."

Khan raised the gun again and pointed it at Spock. "Do you want to find out?" Threatening the commander should have made Khan feel better, but since Spock's apparent recovery from Dr. Neel's injection, it was rather like threatening one of the stupidly fearless giant rats.

"I imagine that shooting you with a bullet is more effective than shooting you with a phaser," Spock persisted. "It is illogical that you should prefer a weapon to which you are so vulnerable."

Khan stared at Spock and realized he was procrastinating. It was past time to check on Beth.

The thought of seeing her again filled him with intense excitement, but also dread. She would hate him. She wouldn't want to look at him or listen to him, but he would probably force her. She certainly wouldn't want to kiss him or be touched by him, and he hoped he had the strength not to force that as well. He tried not to think about all the times he'd been with her in the past week, all the time he'd spent holding her or talking to her or just watching her. She was getting to know him so well. When he came back after being gone for a year, could she get to know him so well again? Would she want to?

He returned to the control room and started to unpack the shoulder bag Spock had carried back from the shuttle. It was stuffed with food – a much better selection than the shriveled up grains he'd just given Spock. When the Ishita arrived, Khan would have to arrange for a replicator to be installed for Beth so she and the children could have whatever they wanted to eat. He smiled at the thought, trying to imagine what the children would look like, what their favorite foods would be.

He would miss their birth, of course; it would take more than nine months just to gather intelligence on his crew's location, the security systems, weaknesses in the perimeter, weaknesses in the guards… maybe he would miss more as well, like first steps and first words, and when he did finally return to them, they would be frightened of him because Beth would no doubt tell them exactly what kind of man their father was.

After pulling several bags of freeze-dried food out of the satchel, Khan pulled out a medical PADD – the one Dr. Neel had used on the shuttle. Spock must have picked it up. Khan turned it on, wondering if he could link it to communication console and use it to remotely control the sensors and transporter, at least within the protected valley where the geomagnetic interference was low. He browsed through the device, looking for a way into the operating system, and stopped short when he saw the word "Gorgon" on one of the files. Khan tapped it and a recorded image immediately appeared on the screen.

It was disorienting. This recording was made hundreds of years ago. The quality of the images, the hair, the clothes, even the furniture was from Khan's time. He felt like he could have been in the room, maybe standing just out of the shot. Except that he would have remembered being in that room. It was not a lab or an official building, it looked like a private residence. Opulent, definitely, but still somebody's home. But that was not why Khan would have remembered being there – the thing that held his attention – just as it held the attention of the camera – was the man standing in the center of the shot.

Gorgon. Khan had met him, even collaborated with him a few times, but he had forgotten how beautiful the man had been. He was of the same Augment generation as Khan, but he was younger in this image than Khan was now. His auburn hair was longer than Khan remembered, curling slightly around his ears and the nape of his strong neck. His deep brown eyes stared fearlessly at the camera. "You can kill me now, I will never say it."

The butt of a gun appeared from the side of the frame, hitting Gorgon hard across the face. It snapped his head sideways and broke his skin. Whoever had struck him was another Augment – no human had that kind of strength. Gorgon quickly stood up straight again and Khan saw his hands were tied behind his back. He suddenly realized what he was looking at; this was Gorgon's execution, for betraying the Eugenic cause and his people.

"I will never disown them," Gorgon said, and this time it was the other end of the rifle that came at him. Still he did not flinch or shy away from it. He had always been a man of conviction, even when those convictions were changed by something as unexpected as love, and a real family.

Khan watched Gorgon get shot in the head and the hulking tower of strength was no more.

There was a muffled scream off-camera and Khan felt his blood grow cold in his veins. Dr. Neel had said the Augments had killed Gorgon along with his mate and unborn son. The camera panned to the right and there was the woman – a frail and terrified human among a throng of Augment men and women. Khan tried not to look at her face, but he had already seen the color of her hazel-green eyes, so similar to Beth's that he could not help but see Beth standing among the Augments as they closed in on her.

"Back off, now, give the lady some space," a voice suddenly said, and the group parted. Khan sighed with relief. At least someone was going to keep the proceedings somewhat civilized, even if it was going to end with the death of this woman and her child.

The owner of the voice stepped into shot and Khan was shocked. He knew this man. His name was Ram. He was tall and well-built, like all Augments, with dark hair and flawless olive skin. He had been Khan's friend for years, and climbed the ranks to be his second in command. He had puzzled with Khan over Gorgon's betrayal and death on several occasions over the years, but Ram had never told Khan that he had been there.

Ram walked up to the woman. "Are you frightened?" he asked her with a saccharine sweetness that made the other Augments look at each other and smirk. Khan's heart sank. Ram was not going to help the woman; he was going to play with her. He stroked her blonde hair, several shades lighter than Beth's, and then touched his fingers to her face. He smiled, and this smile was genuine, but cruel. Khan realized he had seen Ram smile like this before, usually in moments of victory, but he felt like he was really seeing behind the smile for the first time. "Now I understand what all the commotion is about," Ram said, almost flirtatiously as he stroked his hand down the woman's neck.

She trembled, cowering away from him, but the others held her where she was. They were all watching hungrily as Ram touched her – even the women seemed sickeningly fascinated. Khan scanned the group and saw five other faces he recognized from his crew. They had all joined him around the same time as Ram, and none of them had ever mentioned this incident to him. Khan knew one thing; if he ever found his crew and woke them up, they must never find out about Beth and the children. Even if it meant he could never return to her, he would rather that than letting her be subjected to…

Ram suddenly grabbed the woman roughly by the hair and she yelped in pain and surprise. Khan remembered the sound of Beth's screams on the recording in the shuttle. Or had they been the screams of this woman? He stopped the video before he could find out for sure.

* * *

Khan realized he was holding his breath as he beamed across the valley and re-materialized in the rain outside the cave entrance in the forest. He put Dr. Neel's PADD into the shoulder bag and went inside, holding out a lamp similar to the one Beth had brought last time to the cave. He ran through the tunnels, remembering the way. He was desperate to see her, to hold her and apologize to her, for everything that he'd done to her, and everything his friends had done to the first of her kind. When he got closer to the main cavern he realized something was wrong. He could smell blood. It was around him, in the tunnels. He shined his lamp on the ground but it was too wet to distinguish blood on the dark rocks. He went into the main cavern but he already knew she wouldn't be there.

The shelf of rock where he'd left her was empty. She had dumped most of the blankets on the ground, except for the small one she'd offered to Khan on their first day in the cave. It was folded up and left alone on the rock, either as a memento to him or a slap in the face. He couldn't imagine what she'd been thinking when she'd done it. The rope he'd used to tie her up was on the ground and he picked it up, seeing that it had been roughly cut with something, and was covered in blood. What had she done to herself to get out of the bonds? He remembered her trying to kill herself rather than be tortured by him, and he realized she was capable of anything when pushed far enough. It was something he loved about her, but it was also going to get her killed. He hoped it hadn't already.

He looked around for what else she had taken with her; the big laundry sack and most of the clothes, the small lamp, the tins of food and the dolphin. That last one struck a particular nerve in Khan. It told him she was not planning to ever return. She was leaving him, and the realization made him equal parts frightened, hurt and furious. Did she really think he would let her go?

Khan smelled and tasted the blood on the rope, trying to determine how old it was. Several hours, he guessed. She could have been out all night, bleeding and alone in the forest. There were larger animals in the mountains, so she would have stayed down in the valley, but would the animals come down at night if they caught the scent of fresh blood? He started heading out of the cave, hoping to track her through the forest, but then he remembered that it was raining. Any sign of her would be already washed away.

But he knew where she was going. She had told him often enough of the buildings to the south, even showed him a map. He closed his eyes, remembering it clearly. He would beam there and try to scan for her using the sensors he'd attached to the orb. If he couldn't find her he would backtrack through the forest and try to head her off. He didn't know what he would do when he found her. He didn't think he could ever let her out of his sight again, but he also couldn't involve her in the minor war it would probably take to retrieve his people. For the first time, Khan began to question if it was the right decision, or at least the right _time_, to go on a dangerous mission to rescue his crew.

The idea made Khan stop in his tracks. The need to be reunited with his first family had been the driving, defining force in his life for over a year. How could he even think of leaving them in stasis for one second longer than necessary?

* * *

**Nice long chapter to make up for not posting for a few days :) I kept writing this one and had to finally make myself stop so I could post it (and get some sleep!) More to come soon - are we happy to see Kirk coming back? Khan is so conflicted, and where is Beth? I hope Khan has learned his lesson that he can't control her, but is it already too late? Thanks for reading and reviewing, following and faving. Hope you like this one.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

Beth lay in the crawl space beneath the research station until she was sure Khan was gone. He had not left on foot as she'd expected, instead she'd heard muffled voices one second – it sounded like a recording that he was watching – and then footsteps and then complete silence and Beth realized he had beamed right out of the control room. She knew he had gone to the cave; he'd promised to return in the morning.

She was glad he'd gotten the transporter to work - she'd been counting on using it after losing so much blood cutting through her bonds with a sharp rock and virtually slashing her wrists in the process. She never could have walked the twelve miles to the southern compound, even if she'd been be able to navigate in the dark. Instead she'd crept up to the research station and hid out of sight. She'd tried to coordinate her movements with noises made by forest animals so Khan's extra-sensitive hearing wouldn't detect her approach.

The fact that he was already travelling by transporter was a problem; he could be back in a matter of minutes after realizing she'd escaped. She would have to move quickly; no time to dress the wounds on her wrists and hands, no time to leave a note for Khan.

Beth raced up the station's exterior ramp and went straight to the control room. It was empty. She set down the bag of clothes and other things she'd salvaged and took a minute to examine Khan's work routing the sensors and transporter through the amplifier orb. She saw that he was logging every transport and he had indeed beamed himself over to their cave entrance. She shivered, imagining his reaction to her escape. Would he see it as an act of self-preservation, or take it as a personal rejection? Would he be able to contain his anger when he finally caught up with her? Would he listen to her or had she ruined any chance of happiness with him?

Beth deactivated the log. He could probably guess where she was headed but she didn't need to give him her exact coordinates. She also saw that he had linked some sort of controller to remotely use the transporter and sensors. She unlinked it, knowing he would have to return from the cave on foot, maybe buying her ten more valuable minutes.

Scanning with the new amplified sensors she was able to see the buildings to the south. There were seven of them, laid out in a horseshoe pattern with tunnels and skywalks connecting them. In the middle was a paved rectangle. The lines she could see painted on the surface confirmed her original guess that it was a landing pad. Her heart raced at the thought that she might actually find a ship there. She didn't care how decrepit or slow it was, as long as it got her off the planet's surface.

The sensors could not see details inside the buildings but it saw enough that Beth could choose a safe destination for her transport: a large open area inside the largest building, possibly another hangar. She entered the coordinates and then searched for another safe location, this time for Spock. She didn't want him to come with her, but she also couldn't leave him behind to bear the brunt of Khan's wrath. She would beam Spock to the southern-most corner of the valley, about five miles from the buildings where she was headed. When he traveled north he would find the compound and maybe his own escape.

First she had to face him, if only for a minute. Khan had described his condition as delicate, and she didn't want to upset him further, but this would probably be the last time Beth would see Commander Spock and she wanted to say a proper goodbye to someone for once in her life.

Using the controller console, she unlocked the door to his holding cell. She heard the heavy clunking sound of the metal bolt sliding open, and several seconds later she heard the door squeaking as it swung out, and then slow, tentative footsteps approaching up the corridor.

Beth braced herself, her hand next to the transporter controls, ready to beam Spock away if he came at her. But when he appeared in the doorway, he just stopped where he was and regarded her with two raised eyebrows. She supposed for a Vulcan that was an expression of shock.

"I did not murder you," was all he said and Beth felt almost like it was a question.

"No," she said. "Is that what Khan told you?"

"And Starfleet. He has arranged for a ship to come and arrest me for your rape and murder."

Beth shook her head. Did Khan ever pass up a chance to be cruel? "You didn't rape me either."

"I am glad."

"But you did almost kill Khan. I saved him." Spock had no reaction or comment to that news. Beth thought he seemed much like his old self; the enigmatic scientist she'd first met when interviewing for her position on the Enterprise. "He's planning to seize the ship and use it to find his crew," she added.

Spock tilted his head and looked quizzically at Beth.

"I thought he had a right to know," she explained.

Spock nodded. "That is unfortunate." He looked around the control room. "Is he with you?"

"No," Beth told him.

"Are you with him?"

She understood the distinction. "I don't think so. Not anymore."

"Did he hurt you?" Spock asked, looking at her wrists where blood had soaked through the makeshift bandages she'd made out of a white shirt.

Beth shook her head but wanted to say that yes, Khan had ripped her heart to pieces. "No," she said quietly. "I just couldn't let him have the things he wanted." She knew that could be interpreted in many different ways, but Spock seemed to understand.

"We must contact Starfleet," he said. He stepped forward and Beth put her hand on the transporter controls. He saw the movement and stopped. "What are you doing, Lieutenant?"

"I'm sorry, Commander. I don't want Khan to hurt you, or anyone else, but I don't want him to get ambushed and killed either. I think he still might choose to leave peacefully."

"With you?" Spock asked, and his voice did not hold the skepticism Beth had been expecting.

"Or after me," she said. "I'm leaving and I hope he follows."

"And if he doesn't?"

Beth didn't want to answer. She knew she should contact Starfleet and have them contain Khan before he kidnapped the crew of the Ishita or hurt anyone else, but could she actually do that to him? She looked up at Spock, who was watching her closely. "We're wasting time," she said suddenly. She knew Khan was on his way back to the station, probably running through the forest, she could almost feel him getting closer. "Before I say goodbye, Commander, I am asking you to tell me where Khan's crew is being held."

"Do you plan to help him revive them?"

"I don't know," Beth admitted. "But I know he will find out someday, somehow, and it might save a few lives – maybe even yours – if he doesn't need to… extract… the information."

Spock considered the logic of this. "I can honestly tell you I do not know, Lieutenant."

"How can you not know?"

"After the incident in San Francisco the Federation moved Khan and his crew to a secure, highly classified location."

"Does Captain Kirk know?"

"I do not think so, but if he did he would not be permitted to tell me."

Beth sighed and nodded. She started sliding the transporter control up, initiating the sequence to beam him into the valley. "I wanted to say goodbye to you, Spock, and to thank you for helping me, and believing in me. I don't think I could have survived everything without you." He opened his mouth to interrupt but Beth continued. "I'm sorry about the bad things that happened to you because of me, on the Enterprise and since we left."

"Lieutenant…"

"I'm going to beam you somewhere safe and I hope you stay hidden from Khan. If I get off this planet I will send Starfleet your location so you'll be rescued."

And as the transporter signal locked onto Spock and his particles started to shimmer Beth held up her right hand in a traditional Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper."

* * *

When the Enterprise dropped out of warp at the Ishita's location in sector thirty-five-J, Kirk was shocked to find the small escort ship accompanied by two Galaxy-class starships and a fleet of twenty destroyers.

"Yellow alert," he announced immediately, leaning forward in his chair.

"Captain, we're being hailed on a secure channel," Lieutenant Uhura said. "By an Admiral Green."

Kirk frowned. The only Admiral Green he knew of was a retired and decorated war hero. Kirk had studied his most famous battles at the Academy and seen his lectures on military strategy several times. "On screen."

The crusty voice came across before the image appeared and Kirk recognized it immediately. "Enterprise, what the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"Admiral Green," Kirk said quickly, standing up. "My name is Kirk. Captain James T. Kirk. It's an honor, sir."

"That doesn't answer my question, does it?" The Admiral's gray eyes bored directly into Kirk's soul and Kirk wondered how he managed to do that through the viewscreen.

"No sir, we're on a mission to rescue two kidnapped members of our crew."

"And you think we have them?"

Kirk tried to answer without revealing Uhura's prohibited decryption of the Ishita's secure transmission. "We were searching this sector and it looks like you're gearing up for some kind of battle. May we offer our assistance?"

"Does it look like we need your assistance, Captain?"

Kirk was beginning to think Admiral Green was a lot more likeable in theory than in person. "With all due respect, sir, yes, it does. I'm assuming you're here because Khan has escaped Federation custody, again." The Admiral's silence was answer enough. "I've fought with Khan, alongside him and against him, and I know how he thinks and operates. I can tell you that all your ships won't do any good if you don't know what you're up against."

"So you think you can teach me what I need to know?" Admiral Green asked. His voice was surly but his eyes were shining with interest. "Your assumption is partly correct, Captain, but I'm afraid Khan is just the tip of the iceberg. You'd better come aboard the Ishita so we can talk securely." He smiled. "Apparently our encrypted channels aren't all they're cracked up to be."

"Aye, sir," Kirk said, but the Admiral was already gone.

* * *

Beth materialized in a pitch black room and immediately reached for the small yellow lantern in her bag. As she turned it on she tried not to remember using it in the cavern to illuminate her lovemaking with Khan.

As it flickered on she realized that the room she was in was even bigger than she'd realized. The lantern lit up the floor and a few dust particles in the air, but could not reach any walls or the ceiling or anything else around her.

"Lights," she announced, hoping they would work much like the lights on the Enterprise and other Starfleet facilities, but nothing happened. "Computer, lights," she tried again. Still nothing.

Perhaps the building predated voice-controlled computers and there was some kind of manual control. Beth started to walk in what she hoped was a straight line, knowing that eventually she had to run into a wall that she could follow. After walking for what seemed like a full minute, she saw something up ahead of her. It was long and cylindrical, maybe two feet high and made of dark gray metal. It was not a computer, nor a craft of any kind. Perhaps it was a component of a ship or engine. Beth examined it and became aware that there were others close by, lined up in rows.

As she held the lamp up to see them more clearly she realized that at one end of each cylinder was a clear plastic window. Peering through one of these windows, Beth was shocked to see a face inside. The eyes were closed and it looked too well preserved to be a cadaver. This was a person in cryostasis and Beth's heart began beating faster than it ever had before in her life. She knew what she was looking at – this sleeping man, with his even features, strong jaw and flawless skin was an Augment. He was a member of Khan's lost crew. The Federation had hidden them on a planet that no ship could scan, where there was no official record of the storage facility ever existing.

Beth moved from cryotube to cryotube, looking at the faces of the men and women, all appearing to be in their twenties and thirties, all different skin colors but all of them beautiful. There were dozens of them, so many that Beth lost count. This had to be everyone.

She grinned. It changed everything. Khan's search would be over before it even began. No war with the Federation, no kidnapping, no killing, no abandoning her on a lonely planet. She almost giggled with relief. She had to tell him. She had to find him before the Ishita arrived to complicate things irrevocably. Maybe Khan was on his way here now. He would be so happy.

Even better than just telling him, Beth realized she could revive one of them before he even arrived. Surely if she was the one to find them and wake them up, they would bond with her. If hers was the first face they saw they would not see her as a threat; she would be the one who had rescued and re-united them.

Looking at their faces Beth tried to see them as Khan saw them. He had spoken of them with such devotion and fondness, even love. She imagined his delight at seeing one of his old friends coming around the corner towards him, walking alongside the woman he also loved.

She found a face she particularly liked; a young man with wide-set eyes and a mouth that was curled into a smile even in his sleep. She held the lamp over the control panel of his cryotube and was pleased to see it was similar to the cryo-containers she used in the lab to preserve insect specimens. She keyed in the command to start the thaw and a blue light began to blink inside the tube as the body was radiated. It took longer than she was used to, which made sense because this body was considerable larger than any invertebrate she'd ever studied, and several minutes later when it was finished the blue light stopped flashing and Beth was able to unlock the tube and lift the lid.

The man was long and lean and clad in a simple gray jumpsuit that revealed his toned physique. Beth was about to touch his hand to see if it was warm, but remembered to keep a layer of material between her skin and his so he wouldn't be affected by her errant pheromones. That would be all she needed – to spark a romantic rivalry between Khan and one of his crew. She prodded the man in the arm, through his shirt. He did not stir and she looked at the screen inside the tube that showed a strong and regular heartbeat.

"My name is Beth," she said to him, fairly confident that he was either conscious or close to it. "I'm a friend of Khan's. What's your name?"

He did not reply and Beth remembered the way Khan had pretended to be asleep in Ward Seventeen. "I'm here to help you," she continued. "You've been asleep for a long time, I think three hundred years or so. You can keep your eyes closed, I know you're probably frightened and confused. You're the first one I've woken up so I'm a bit frightened as well." She laughed nervously. "We can wait for Khan. He should be here soon. He's been looking for you for a long time. All of you. The rest of the crew is here. If it makes you feel better I'll wake up someone else; a familiar face for you. Is there a friend you want me to wake up while we wait for Khan?"

"Yes," the young man said, making Beth jump. His voice was clear and rich and it echoed around the cavernous hangar. Beth gasped as he opened his eyes and looked upon her with no trace of apprehension or fear in his beautiful pale eyes. "Let's wake up Ram."

* * *

**Uh oh, not Ram! It's nice Beth is trying to ingratiate herself with Khan's other family, but what has she gotten herself into? How will they react to her, and will they figure out what she is before Khan arrives? What will Khan think of Beth waking up his crew without him? And how about all those destroyers hovering around with the Ishita and the Enterprise? Hope this is an exciting turn of events - thanks for reading!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

Khan leapt up the research station's stairs in a single stride and ripped the front door clean off its hinges. He barely noticed as he threw it aside and stormed through the rooms to reach Spock's holding cell.

Empty.

Khan cursed with frustration, slamming the iron door shut again. It was then that he noticed the lock was not broken; the door had not been forced from the inside. Scarcely able to believe it Khan ran to the control room and examined the consoles. The door had been remotely opened. There was a smear of dried blood on the control screen and a few drops on the floor. Khan licked his finger to wet the blood and taste it, but he did it more for the animalistic thrill than analysis. He already knew it belonged to Beth.

She had returned for Spock. After everything Khan was willing to give her and sacrifice for her she had chosen a half-bred Vulcan mongrel rather than wait for him.

He could not let it stand. In the back of his mind Khan knew he should have listened to Beth about the southern facility and gone there with her days earlier, but that would not stop him from killing Spock in front of her when he caught up to them. Apparently Beth had to be taught once and for all that she was his and only his, and any other man she wanted in her life was as good as dead.

Khan pulled out the PADD and re-linked it to the transporter. The clever girl had figured that out quickly, or had it been Spock? Khan growled at the thought of them transporting somewhere together, Beth's arms around Spock's waist, holding him tightly so they could be beamed in unison. Were they already on a ship together? Spock's new-found self-control would not last long once he had her alone.

Khan scanned the southern facility and smiled savagely when he saw a strong thermal signal coming from a large open area in one of the buildings. So, they had not left the planet yet. There was too much interference to clearly see individual life signs, but this was where he needed to go. He entered coordinates to put him in the next room so he could take them by surprise. Before activating the transporter Khan went to a storage cupboard and grabbed the heavy knapsack he had packed the night before. His rifle was standing beside it and he took a moment to swap the tranquilizer darts for real bullets.

* * *

Beth smiled nervously at the three Augments standing in front of her. They were still and watchful, emanating a raw, powerful energy that made her feel weak. The man she had first awoken was to her left. He was the youngest of the three – he looked like a teenager – with pale blonde hair, pale skin and pale blue eyes. He still appeared to be smiling, but Beth was beginning to suspect that was just the shape of his mouth because his eyes seemed rather cold.

The next man she had woken – the one called Ram – was in the middle. He was broader and more muscular even than Khan, with dark olive skin and short black hair. _His_ eyes were not cold at all. They were full of heat as they scanned Beth, but she did not feel a sexual curiosity emanating from him. He was evaluating her, maybe looking for weapons and points of weakness. She swallowed hard, knowing she had none of the former and more than her fair share of the latter. It took everything in her not to cover her stomach with her hands to shield her unborn children from his penetrating eyes.

The third Augment was a woman. Beth had not woken her. The blonde one had watched Beth open Ram's cryotube and apparently learned everything he needed to know because he'd proceeded to revive the woman on his own without warning or explanation. She could have been Ram's sister with her olive skin and short black hair and her beauty was so intense it made even Beth stare. She regarded Beth with a different energy than the men. If anything she seemed more hostile, or at least more openly so.

"Khan will be here soon," Beth repeated for the seventh or eighth time. She had thought she was running away with him hot on her heels, so where was he? "I hope he hasn't gotten lost," she added lamely and there was a sharp intake of breath from the woman as her eyes narrowed with even more dislike. Apparently she didn't appreciate Beth's sense of humor, or maybe it was just humans making jokes about her Augment leader that she didn't like.

"Where are we?" Ram asked Beth, his eyes glancing around the hangar. Beth got the impression he could see just fine in the dark.

"A storage facility on a planet called Centula."

"Centula," the blonde repeated.

"Population?" Ram asked.

"It's just us," she said, deciding not to tell them about Spock. "The planet's been abandoned, so it's all of you and Khan and me."

"Why you?" the woman demanded.

Beth wondered if the woman was somehow attached to Khan, romantically or otherwise, but she was too nervous of her to be jealous. "We were together in a convict hospital. Khan helped me escape and I agreed to help him find you."

"What were you doing in a convict hospital?" Ram asked.

Beth knew she couldn't pass for a criminal. "They were performing experiments on us."

He nodded his head sympathetically. "Not much has changed in the last… how long did you say we've been asleep? Three hundred years?"

She nodded. "Something like that."

"Is that when you got injured? During the escape?"

To Beth's horror, Ram held out his hand, looking down at her bloody wrists.

"Let me see. The blood smells fresh. You need a new bandage."

Tucking her hands behind her back Beth attempted a casual shrug. "It's nothing."

He took a step forward. "I can help you. I've seen every kind of injury there is."

Even though his face was open and his voice pleasant, Beth could feel the threat emanating from him. She took a step back, leaning against one of the cryotubes. "Are you a doctor?"

He shook his head. "A soldier." He leaned down, reaching for her wrist. Beth jerked it away and Ram narrowed his beautiful brown eyes at her. "I'm afraid I must insist."

* * *

He knew them by their voices; their rich, engineered, almost artificial voices. He could picture them in his mind: young Dyret, with the face, fair hair and single-mindedness of a child; Arma, suspicious, merciless and beautiful, the strongest woman in Khan's crew and his chief tactician… and Ram, Khan's friend, second in command and murderer of women unfortunate enough to be carrying half-Augment babies.

Khan listened for a minute, sure that if he moved they would hear him. He wished he could just beam them out of the building but he had learned that when using the PADD he could only beam himself places, and probably someone else if he was touching them. He would have to face them and he didn't feel ready. He had been fighting for them for so long and now that he was so close all he wanted was to take Beth and get her as far away from them as possible.

Why had she woken them up without him? Did she think they would be grateful? Did she think they would forgive her for what she was?

She was afraid. Her voice was steady and so brave it made Khan's heart ache, but he knew every one of her inflections and they were all screaming her fear. Ram could sense it as well. Khan recognized that he was making a move for Beth, and would make her tell him whatever she was hiding. If he touched her she wouldn't have to tell him anything; his body would feel the chemical reaction on contact just as Khan's had done when Beth had first touched him back in Ward Seventeen. Ram had touched Gorgon's mate. He would realize what Beth was. She could be dead within a few seconds.

Khan was afraid, truly afraid, as he stepped out from his hiding place. He could see Ram leaning towards Beth in the lamp light and in a split second Khan imagined a hundred different scenarios. Ram could kill Beth – maybe quickly but it was more likely to be slow – he could hurt her, torture her, rape her, try to force Khan to kill her... Khan would not be able to stop him on his own, and Dyret and Arma would not help him protect Beth. None of his people ever would.

He was a traitor – maybe it was hundreds of years later, but to them the war was still raging and they were all willing to kill and die for their cause, just as he had once been. They would kill him as they had killed Gorgon, and they would kill Beth, and their unborn children, and there was probably nothing Khan could do about it… but he had to try.

There was a panel of switches on the wall and Khan flipped them all on. The hangar filled with light, revealing that there were three Antares starships docked around the edge of the large hangar. Beth had been right to come here looking for their escape. If only Khan had listened to her.

"Friends!" he called across the hangar, dropping the rifle into his right hand. He would only get one shot and Khan looked at his three friends, trying to decide who to kill. It made sense to shoot Ram, but Beth was shielding him. His second choice was Arma; she was deadly in a fight, but if he shot either of the other two Ram would grab Beth and kill her before Khan could pull the trigger a second time. He had to get her out of there. If he could get her far enough to the side maybe he could beam with her to safety.

Ram dropped his arm and they all turned to Khan, including Beth. She smiled with relief but Khan scowled at her angrily. When he was close enough he back handed her across the face. It was not hard, especially by his standards, but she staggered a few feet, clutched her cheek and glared at him with a mixture of shock, grief and anger. He steeled his heart, hoping she would realize that he was just trying to put some distance between her and his people. He gave her shoulder a shove for good measure, sending her a few more feet in the right direction. "I told you to wait for me," he hissed, and Beth's anger turned to confusion and then realization. "Get out of my sight," he said, pointing with the rifle back the way he came.

"Yes, sir," she agreed quickly - maybe too quickly because Ram lunged for the rifle, grabbing it by the muzzle. He could not take it away from Khan but Khan couldn't aim it either.

"Ram, have you lost your mind?" Arma shouted, stepping forward.

"Grab her," Ram said and Dyret put his hands on Arma's shoulders, earning himself a sharp elbow in the stomach.

"Not her, you idiot, grab the human."

Khan swung at Ram and struggled to get the rifle away from him as Beth ran from Dyret, trying to dodge around a cryotube to evade him. He easily leapt over it, seizing her around the middle with one arm. Khan saw the young man do a double take as his hand lay across the bare skin between the waist of Beth's skirt and her shirt.

"You barely touched her, Khan," Ram told him. "You never hit someone unless you want to hurt them, and you _never_ hold back. You didn't want to hurt this one, so why did you hit her? Was it for our benefit?" He half turned to Dyret. "Break her neck if he doesn't give me the gun."

Khan wondered how long Ram had been giving orders to his crew. His heart sank as he released the gun and realized he had failed.

* * *

**Oh, no! Khan is outnumbered and Dyret is already being affected by Beth! Khan is going to have to use all his wits to get them through this, and don't forget people (especially Khan and his kind) have a habit of underestimating Beth :) More to come, thanks for reading and special thanks to those still leaving comments. This has been going for a long time and I am so happy it's still entertaining some people!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

They were waiting for an answer. Even Arma was looking at Khan with hesitation.

"What's happening?" Beth asked him, pushing against the arm Dyret held around her. Khan knew it was useless to try to escape the young Augment – he was nineteen, two generations younger than Khan, and therefore engineered with ever greater strength though he still lacked the confidence to use it. Beth's struggles should have been like the flapping of moth's wings to Dyret but Khan saw the way he smiled and knew he was rather enjoying himself. "We had a deal," Beth said, bravely continuing the charade, buying him time to think.

Khan's mind cut through fifty responses to find the one least likely to get her killed. He turned to Ram and calmly looked over the muzzle of the rifle. "Do you really think I'm going to give a concussion to the only person who knows how to get off this planet?"

His three friends watched him for a moment and then exchanged glances. Khan tried not to stare at Dyret's thumb as it absently stroked Beth's stomach under her shirt. She was also pretending not to notice but Khan saw thinly-veiled panic in her eyes.

He held out his hand to Dyret who had turned his face into Beth's neck, half burying it in her hair. "Now give her back to me before you break her."

The young Augment frowned at him, looking reluctant.

"Don't," Ram told Dyret, holding up a hand and turning his head for a second.

Khan wanted to grab the rifle, but Ram would be expecting it. Khan had to find a way to surprise the man who knew him better than almost anyone. "If you're going to challenge me, Ram, at least do it the honorable way."

Ram laughed humorlessly. "Do you think I'd fight you now, after just waking up from three centuries of cryosleep?"

"If you're not challenging me then give me the gun and I will put this insubordination down to temporary insanity brought on by the thawing process. I'd rather not kill you; in case you haven't realized, there aren't that many of us left."

"How many are we?" Arma asked, frowning and looking around at the cryotubes. "Is this everyone?"

Khan nodded, remembering his own shock when he'd first learned how far the Augment race had fallen.

"It's not _my_ insanity you should be worried about," Ram persisted, pointing over his shoulder to Beth. "You don't understand. You don't know what she is and what she'll do to you. I can smell it in her blood. I've met her type before."

Khan nodded, looking bored though his heart and mind were racing. Ram must have spilled a lot of Secondary Augment blood to recognize its smell. "Met her type, tortured her type, killed her type. I know what she is and what you've done." There was no point in denying it. The only hope he had was to avoid Gorgon's fatal mistake; he could not let Ram and the others suspect that he loved Beth or indeed had any feelings for her that weren't purely opportunistic.

"I…" Ram was taken back. He lowered the rifle a few inches. "How could you know?"

"What is he talking about?" Arma demanded, her suspicions diverting to Ram.

"Do you think I would make anyone my second in command without knowing every single thing about him?" Khan asked, wishing it were true.

"You never said," Ram said, the gun dropping even more.

"Neither did you."

"It was supposed to be classified."

Khan turned to Arma. "Beth here is a descendant of a second strain of Augments, created during our time to dilute our genetic superiority through interbreeding."

Arma hissed loudly at the thought. "Interbreeding!"

"But Beth is incompatible," Khan added quickly. "The experiments at the convict hospital proved that."

Dyret looked up at Khan. His hand was still under Beth's shirt, and had moved higher, almost touching the bottom of her left breast. "They tried to breed her with you?"

Was there already a trace of jealousy in the young Augment's voice? Khan remembered when he was Dyret's age and his hormones were barely under control at the best of times. If he'd met Beth in his teens nothing in the world could have kept him away from her. Ram might be the immediate threat, but Khan suspected Dyret might give him the most trouble before everything was over.

"Not just interbreeding," Ram said and he took a few steps backwards until he was close enough to reach out and touch Beth if he wanted to. "These Secondary Augments were engineered to turn us into gibbering, sentimental weaklings, ready to betray each other and our cause."

Dyret was watching Ram as he got closer, a definite gleam of possessiveness in his eyes like a wolf with a dead rabbit in its teeth. Suddenly Beth turned her head to Dyret and whispered something in his ear. Khan couldn't hear – she must have barely moved her lips – and when he looked at the others they were busy watching him. Neither Ram nor Arma had seen it.

Dyret let his hand slip out from under Beth's shirt and rested it loosely on her hip.

Ram was too focused on Khan to notice. "Incompatible, you say?"

He knew what was coming even before Ram lowered the gun and drew back his fist. Khan fought hard to control the adrenaline leaking into his veins. Ram was leaving him time to react but he didn't move. He refused to look the least bit bothered. It was the most important and most difficult thing he had ever done in his life.

_Beth will understand_, he told himself. He would make her understand, make her forgive him. It was the only way to save her, even if he couldn't save their children.

Ram waited a moment longer, so long that Khan wondered if he was bluffing, but just as hope erupted in his chest, Ram's fist began moving in a fast, unstoppable arc towards Beth's lower stomach. In that fraction of a second she made the most pitiful noise Khan had ever heard and he felt part of himself die.

But then everything stopped; Khan's heart, Beth's whimpering and Ram's fist, less than an inch from her vulnerable womb. Dyret's hand, steady and strong, was wrapped around Ram's fist, holding it in place. Ram's muscles bulged and shook under his gray sleeve, but Dyret barely seemed to try. Apparently the young Augment had found his confidence, or at least something worth fighting for.

Khan wanted to collapse with relief but he was also desperate to know what Beth had whispered to Dyret to make him protect her. She had prevailed where Khan had failed, but could she guess – could any of them guess – what beast she had just uncaged?

Maybe Arma could; she stepped forward quickly, snatching the rifle from Ram and grabbing Beth roughly by the arm. "I think you've proved your point," she snapped, and it was not clear which of them she was talking to.

Dyret blinked and released Ram's fist. He let Arma pull Beth away, though his eyes tracked after her faithfully.

Of the two things Arma had in her possession, the rifle was not the one Khan wanted, but it was the one he reached for as she walked towards him.

"I'm sorry, Khan." She kept walking until she was out of range of all three men. "If everything you and Ram say is true, it's up to me to keep this one quarantined until she gets us off the planet." Arma tilted her head at Beth, who was refusing to look at him. "I think I'll need the gun, don't you?"

Khan nodded, wishing his chief tactician could be slightly less tactical for once in her life. Apart from the inconvenience, Arma was putting herself in incredible danger. Not only was she in Khan's way, she had put herself in Ram and Dyret's path as well. Khan surveyed the two other men, both of them staring at Beth for completely different reasons. He wondered which of the three of them would be the first to get their hands on her.

* * *

**Phew! Beth is safe, but for how long, and how is Khan going to get her back? Will she understand why he was going to stand by while Ram hurt her and maybe terminated her pregnancy? After everything she's been through, is that one cold calculation too many? And how about Dyret saving her? Do we like him, or is he a bomb waiting to explode? Maybe both? :) Thanks for reading and for all the comments - you guys are great! **


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

Kirk leaned back in a chair in the Ishita's only conference room. He stared at Admiral Green in disbelief. "The Federation stored the frozen Augments in the same facility as experimental warships?"

The Admiral scowled. He clearly didn't enjoy explaining his superiors' errors in judgment. "They deemed the Federation was not ready for either advancement."

Kirk could understand that, "But the same facility?" Letting either one exist was a risk, but putting them together was inviting disaster.

"The Augments and Admiral Marcus's ships were acquired at the same time and they both needed to be stored in a highly classified location; the decision was purely logistical. Starfleet Administration is still scrambling after Khan's attack in San Francisco, and since your incursion on Qo'noS, the Klingon Empire has escalated attacks on border colonies. Not to be outdone, the Romulans are making regular breaches of the Neutral Zone. That's why they pulled me out of retirement to come here; every other captain with battle experience is already engaged."

"Not _every_ other captain," Kirk corrected him. "Why wasn't I informed when Khan surfaced? He has two members of my crew."

Green nodded. "The Vulcan and the woman."

"Commander Spock and Lieutenant Walker," Kirk told him curtly.

Admiral Green proceeded to tell Kirk about the distress call the Ishita had received, informing them Spock had sexually assaulted and killed a female officer named Walker. "There was an accusation that Spock had attacked this same woman on your ship, and you had covered it up."

"Of course not. There was an incident, but it isn't that simple."

"It is to Starfleet. You're the last person they want nosing around Centula."

"Clearly I'm the last person Khan wants at Centula or he wouldn't have accused me of showing preferential treatment and putting one of my officers at risk. As far as we know, Lieutenant Walker is still alive and another one of Khan's prisoners."

"Unfortunately we have no way of knowing anything. We can't scan the planet and the three drones we sent down for aerial observation never came back. We have to assume Khan found out about his crew somehow and has woken them by now. They'll try to leave the planet once they're organized. That's why we have these fighters in a holding pattern. If any ship launches from Centula we have orders to destroy it on site."

"What if Spock or Walker manage to escape?" Kirk asked. "You could be killing innocent people."

"Captain, you above everyone should know what it would mean if a crew of Augments makes it into open space in one of Marcus's warships. Those weaponized freighters are faster and deadlier than any ship in our fleet. The only good thing about this mess is Marcus never equipped them with cloaking devices."

Kirk had to agree with that, but it made him think of something. "The shuttle Khan stole had a cloaking device."

It was news to Admiral Green. "It did? Of what origin?"

"Romulan design, but manufactured and installed by Starfleet. It was a medevac shuttle with exemptions under the old Safe-Passage ordinance."

"So Khan has a compatible cloaking device on Centula? Could he modify it to use it on a starship?"

Kirk nodded confidently. "If those warships were Marcus's then Khan probably had a hand in their design. If anyone could adapt a cloaking device to work on those ships it would be Khan."

Admiral Green let out a long string of expletives in three different languages. Finally he fell into a chair opposite Kirk. "That changes everything."

"Sir?"

"We can't sit here and wait for ships to launch from the planet. If Khan has a cloaked ship we may not even know when he leaves, if he hasn't already. I'll have to send in the destroyers. They'll level every building on the planet."

"My people could be in those buildings," Kirk reminded him. "We have to try to rescue them first."

But Green shook his head and stood. "That's out of the question, Captain. I'm not going to send people to the surface with no way to track them or communicate." He started to walk away but Kirk hurried after him, pulling him back by the sleeve, not caring that he was laying his hands on an Admiral.

"If you won't help me I'll do it alone."

Green considered Kirk for a moment. "Would it mean anything if I gave you a direct order?"

"Not really sir, no."

"Then do it at your own risk, Captain. Take a shuttle, something we won't have to shoot down if you're lucky enough to return. You'll have two hours, maybe three before we launch our offensive."

"Thank you, Admiral."

"And if anything happens to you, you're on your own."

"I understand."

"I hope you do, because I've studied the Eugenic wars and I know what the Augments are capable of. I would sacrifice you and the Enterprise, the Ishita and every man and woman here to keep Khan and his crew from leaving the planet. The ships I send to Centula won't be bringing back survivors."

* * *

Beth felt eyes on her at all times. Arma was the most obvious because her only task was to watch Beth and keep everyone else at a distance. Beth tried engaging the woman in conversation but felt like she was talking on a frequency Arma couldn't hear. She didn't smile or frown or make any kind of eye contact. She was completely focused on the task at hand, which did not include interaction with the human.

Dyret was also watching Beth, though Khan was trying to keep the young man busy. He had woken two more Augments, both striking, strapping females – one with short blonde hair and one dark skinned woman with a shaved head. Beth was starting to wonder if all the Augments – men and women – would have such cropped hair, and if it was some sort of prison cut they'd all received before cryostasis, along with their gray prison uniforms. The two newcomers were working with Dyret to inventory one of the Antares freighters. She guessed Khan had given them instructions to keep the young Augment in hand because they never left his side. But his eyes still found Beth across the hangar as he climbed all over the exterior of the ship. Every time she turned around he was watching her.

It was the same with Ram, though he gave off a completely different energy. Beth could feel the hate radiating from him; hate for her, hate for Khan and Dyret and probably Arma and the others. Khan worked with him on another ship – the furthest from Beth. They appeared to be unloading hovercycles and other small machines that were stored in the freighter. Despite her confusion and frustration with Khan's behavior, Beth found herself watching him and each time he disappeared from view she felt herself grow anxious. She was sure Ram would try to hurt Khan when he had him alone, maybe even kill him to assume leadership. Each time they came back into view Beth breathed a sigh of relief. One time she did this she turned to glance at Arma and found the woman watching her seriously, probably evaluating Beth's emotions and her physical state, trying to gauge just how much trouble she could cause.

In fact, the only Augment not looking sideways at Beth was Khan. Part of her rationalized that he was trying to protect her by showing no emotion or attachment, but the other part of her felt rejected. After everything he'd put her through, she still just wanted him to look at her and see her, really see her. She wanted to shout at him and make him hold her and make him get rid of everyone else so they could be alone.

But instead she kept her eyes down and focused on opening storage crates lined up against the wall of the hangar. Most of them contained random mechanical components; spare parts for engines or warp drives, life support systems or transporters, she couldn't know which. She moved from crate to crate until she came to one she couldn't open.

"Could you help, please?" she asked Arma, and the woman looked away, her eyes slowly scanning the others, still pretending not to hear. Beth picked up a metal rod from one of the other crates and wedged it under the lid, trying to pry it open. It groaned hopefully and she thought she felt it give a little, but suddenly the rod snapped in her hand and Beth fell forward, the broken edge scratching a deep gash all the way up her right forearm.

She cried out in pain and there was an immediate reaction from everyone in the hangar. Arma gave a sharp hiss and was suddenly right next to Beth, tearing the sleeve off her shirt to examine the wound. There was also a commotion over by Dyret's ship. He leapt forty or fifty feet from the top of the freighter to land easily on the floor, and was running towards Beth before either of his two female minders could stop him. Khan was the only one to react more quickly, but he was further away and reached Beth at the same time as Dyret. Arma stood in front of both of them, brandishing the rifle.

"That's close enough," she said. "She'll live."

"But she's hurt," Dyret argued, looking over Arma's shoulder, trying to see.

"I'm fine," Beth told him weakly, wrapping her torn sleeve around the deep cut, trying to slow the bleeding.

"What was she doing?" Khan asked Arma, sounding livid.

"Opening crates."

"Who told her to do that?"

"No one," Beth interjected, moving so she stood beside Arma instead of behind her. "I was trying to be useful."

"She shouldn't be doing anything that could get her hurt," Khan told Arma, talking over Beth.

She stepped forward. She wanted so desperately for him to look at her. "Arma told me to stop, but you know what I'm like," she said. It wasn't true but the last thing she needed was Khan giving Arma even more reasons to dislike her.

Khan did look at Beth then, annoyance mixed with surprise, and a flash of something else, something warm. "Show me your arm."

Dyret stepped forward, either to get closer to Beth or get in Khan's way. Beth did not shy away from him, she looked into his face and smiled. "I'm okay, Dyret," she said softly, and he looked from her to Khan and then stepped back again. He watched carefully as Khan examined Beth's arm, holding it firmly but gently, stroking his fingers over her skin with such care. Beth felt so many conflicting emotions in that moment but kept her face as neutral as possible.

"This needs to be closed up," Khan decided. "These freighters aren't equipped." He looked at Arma. "There's a small research station about twelve miles from here. Beth will be able to find it. There are some medical tools and supplies I salvaged from the shuttle we came in. Go with her on a hovercycle and take care of her arm. There are some other things I want you to bring back. You'll need this."

Khan pulled out a PADD and handed it to Beth. It was Dr. Neel's; this was the PADD Khan had used to transport remotely and he was giving it to Beth.

"Use the Ishita if you can," he added, looking seriously into Beth's eyes.

"What's an Ishita?" Arma asked, looking suspiciously at the PADD. Beth realized Arma had no idea how it could be used. She would not try to stop Beth when she used it to transport onto a ship in orbit. Khan was handing her a way off the planet and telling her to take it, to leave him behind.

Beth took the PADD but shook her head. If she left the others would turn on him. They would know he'd lied and helped her escape. "I'm not sure I can find it. Maybe you should come with us."

"If he's going, so am I," Dyret said.

"No," Arma said quickly. "I'll take her. We'll find it."

And Khan smiled at Beth, letting her see for just a fraction of a second that he loved her, that no matter what he'd done he wanted her safe above everything else. "Yes, I think that's best."

* * *

**So sad - Khan sees a way to save Beth but does it mean putting himself at the mercy of his crew? And the ticking clock with Admiral Green about to raze everything on Centula to the ground! Just a few hours left and so much to get resolved... and where was Ram while Khan and Dyret were seeing to Beth's injury? Something tells me he's only just started causing trouble! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

Spock heard the hum of the engine before he saw the hovercycle speed out of the building. He was able to duck out of sight just in time to avoid being seen. It did a spin on the landing pad in the middle of the compound and then raced away going almost sixty miles an hour. Even at that speed and from some distance Spock could clearly see its passengers: Beth and another woman. Had the Ishita already arrived? Was the woman a member of its crew, and if so, where were the others? Where was Khan?

Spock had two options: to follow the hovercycle, which appeared to be headed back north, or to investigate the building. The logical choice was to check the building – if nothing else he might find a second hovercycle or some other mode of transport. Spock waited a few minutes and made his approach quietly, around the edge of the compound.

Stepping inside the building, he immediately heard a male voice. It was not Khan, but the timbre of the voice, the unnatural clarity and precision of the words were the same. Spock tried to comprehend – could he be listening to another Augment talk? How was that possible?

Now on high alert, he moved stealthily through the large storeroom, between rows of shelves stacked with plastic crates. He stopped a few times to check some of them for weapons, or something he could use to defend himself, but every crate held biological samples preserved in liquid-filled bags; plants, animals and everything in between. Some of them he recognized, like Siamese cats and Bajoran gum blossoms, but even they were strange, exaggerated versions of themselves. All Spock could guess was this was a place to stockpile confiscated genetically-engineered life forms, but who would keep them, and why?

Then Spock heard a woman scream. It came from the same direction as the male voice and Spock moved quickly and silently to the large, open doorway. He peered into a massive hangar – it must have taken up ninety percent of the building. It was large enough to hold mid-sized starships and there were three Antares freighters docked along two of the walls. In the middle of the brightly-lit hangar he saw something that made his green blood run cold: cryotubes. It took him just a second to count that there were seventy-two. How was it possible? Khan could not have gotten them here in the last few hours so they must have been on the planet already, more confiscated life forms preserved on an abandoned planet.

Except that these life forms were not pickled in plastic bags - five of them were walking around and talking. Three others – Khan, a blond man and a dark-skinned woman – were kneeling on the ground with their hands behind their heads. Another woman, perhaps the one that had screamed, lay curled on the ground, possibly dead, though Spock couldn't be sure because the men standing over them were holding phasers. Spock knew from experience that regulation phasers were next-to-useless on Augments, but in this place, on this world, there was no guarantee that anything was regulation.

"Oh, I like these!" one of the men shouted, shooting his phaser into the air so its beam of energy rebounded from the high ceiling and hit one of the starships, leaving a scorch mark on the starboard side.

"Calm yourself," another man said, "Or I won't let you kill anyone else." This man appeared to be their leader. He was taller and broader than the others, with olive skin and short dark hair.

Another Augment wearing the same gray uniform ran up to the group. "I saw the direction they went," he told the leader. "We should be able to follow." He looked at Khan and the group kneeling on the ground, and the woman lying face-down on the concrete. "What did I miss?"

One of the others handed him a phaser. "It's an energy gun. Ram found them before reviving us. It kills without leaving a mark."

The newcomer frowned at the weapon. "If it doesn't leave a mark, how do you know it did anything?"

"Ram, why would you kill any of us?" Khan asked quickly, perhaps as a distraction. He kept his voice even and calm. "There are only twelve dozen Augments left in the universe."

The leader, Ram, sneered. "According to you. The others you woke would believe anything you say. I woke these five because they understand the threat you've brought into our midst. They personally witnessed what it did to Gorgon."

"Beth is not a threat to anyone," said the young blond man kneeling next to Khan. "She's trying to help us."

"You've already been infected," Ram said dismissively, waving his phaser at him.

"No, I haven't, but I felt her muscle density. I pushed against her ribs to test her bone strength. She's weak, even for a human. Malnourished and probably anemic. If you're afraid of her, you don't deserve to be our leader."

"It's not her physical strength I'm afraid of, Dyret. It's the effect she'll have on us. She's a virus, engineered to weaken us as a race and a family. I won't allow that to happen."

"And I won't allow you to hurt her."

Ram pointed his phaser at the young man, Dyret. "Then you _are_ infected, or you wouldn't choose her over any one of us."

"I'm not infected, Ram. Was Khan infected? He says he spent weeks with and even he's only keeping her around to be useful. Were you infected? You said you'd met her kind before. I mean, yes, I could feel her… energy, or whatever you call it, and yes, believe me she felt good." He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering. Spock couldn't help but remember as well - the warm, aching tension that had prickled throughout his whole body and seemed to stretch tighter and tighter whenever Beth was close. "But she didn't _infect_ me," Dyret continued, "And I'm not choosing anyone over any one of us. I will protect Beth because she protected me."

"What do you mean?" Khan asked, looking sideways at him. Spock could hear the confusion in his voice.

Dyret looked down at the ground. "She told me to move my hand," he said.

"She told you to what?" Ram asked, laughing in ridicule. "What are you talking about?"

Khan laughed as well, but it was a laugh of relief. Dyret looked at the two men, unamused. "She said to move my hand because you were about to punch her. I had my hand on her stomach; you would have broken my fingers."

Khan kept laughing, but Ram's smile faded. "I should have broken your neck the first time I met you. You were always soft." Without warning he fired the phaser at the young man. The force of it blew him off his knees and he landed hard on his back and lay completely still.

"You said _I_ could kill them," the trigger happy Augment complained, holding up his phaser as proof that he was ready.

"Then kill Hatari," Ram ordered.

The woman leapt to her feet and tried to rush her attacker. Spock found himself hoping she would reach him in time, but the man fired his phaser and hit her square in the chest and she crumpled like an empty uniform.

Khan was the only one left. Spock felt like he should try to help him, but he had no weapon and logic told him to let these new Augments eliminate Khan as a threat once and for all.

"Now, my old friend," Ram said, raising his phaser and pointing it at Khan. "You wanted me to challenge you in the old, honorable way."

"I welcome it," Khan said, lowering his hands from the back of his head.

Ram smiled. "Well the old ways are gone, dead and buried along with the thousands of Augments killed in the Eugenic Wars, and now along with these three, and soon enough with you."

"We don't have to fight, anymore, Ram. Things have changed." Khan was cut off without ceremony as Ram shot him in the face. The five men standing behind Ram were shocked into still silence.

Ram laughed nervously, scarcely able to believe it himself. "They're about to change back."

* * *

It took a few seconds for the pain to be adequately translated into something Khan's brain could process. In those seconds he thought he might actually be dead, and he grieved for the time he wouldn't get to spend with Beth, and the children he'd never get to hold or see.

And then his overloaded pain receptors recovered from the shock of the close-range phaser fire and Khan felt like his whole face was on fire. He was sure every one of his teeth had exploded in his mouth and his skin had melted off his cheekbones. The inside of his eyelids were glowing red and he would probably never be able to open his eyes again, let alone see.

But his hearing was perfect and Khan lay still as death and listened to Ram giving orders to his five friends – the same five that had appeared in the recording of Gorgon's assassination and joined Khan's crew around the same time as Ram.

Ram had started their revival from cryostasis in the few minutes it had taken Khan to see to Beth's injured arm. Once she had left with Arma and the rifle, Ram and four of the others had jumped Dyret first, then Khan and finally the two female crew members, Hatari and Cailin.

"Skinner, come with me. We'll go after Arma and the Secondary. You four, make sure they're dead and prepare a ship."

Khan heard two people walk away from them and soon enough there was the hum of a hovercycle engine as it sped out of the hangar. Khan prayed to whatever god was keeping him alive that Beth would make it onto the Ishita ship before they reached her, and Arma would use the rifle to shoot Ram between the eyes.

There were only four Augments left behind, and four laying on the ground, including Khan. He and his friends would have the advantage of surprise, but they would need to choose their moment well.

"Skinner was right," one of the attackers said. "How do we know these guns even work?" His name was Rod – he was the one that had shot the two women, and enjoyed it far too much for Khan's liking. Rod had always been fond of violence and as much as Khan valued brutality in a fight, he didn't appreciate casual viciousness. "Let's turn up the dial on these things and see if we can fry their pretty faces."

Khan felt pride that none of his friends reacted to this chilling threat, but if the phasers were not already on their maximum setting then they were in serious danger. He heard feet moving as the four attackers got in position, standing over their victims. Any moment now. The others would expect him to lead the attack…

"No!"

Khan couldn't help but react to the shout – not just because it was unexpected, but because it was coming from Commander Spock. He opened his eyes and raised his head. Luckily, Dion, the Augment standing over him had also reacted, turning to look at Spock, who ducked behind a cryotube as four phaser streams were fired at him.

Khan punched Dion hard in the back of his knees so they gave way and he collapsed on top of Khan. He grabbed the phaser and easily wrestled it from Dion. Khan felt no victory, even as he threw Dion to the side and leapt to his feet. Dion was small for an Augment, and unlike other slight Augments that made up for their size with speed or used it to their advantage with stealth and agility, Dion had always seemed rather pitiful, like a runt who demanded allowances because of his size. It was against everything the Eugenic cause stood for and Khan had never quite understood Ram's attachment to the man, until this day.

"Please," Dion pleaded, covering his head with his arms. "I was just following orders."

"They were the wrong orders," Khan told him as he leaned down and punched him round the jaw, knocking him out cold.

He turned to look at his friends, all fighting their own attacker. Khan went to help Cailin first, the blond navigator he'd known since childhood. Rod was kneeling on her stomach, firing the phaser dangerously close to her face. Cailin was holding it to the side, but she was not as strong as Rod and her arms would soon weaken. Khan couldn't help but think of Beth and what this man could do to her if Ram had his way. He kicked Rod hard in the side, landing his foot in the man's ribs. It was not hard enough to break them, but it did flip him over so Cailin could scramble out of the way and give Khan room to finish the job.

For the first time since battling Spock in San Francisco Khan felt his muscles really stretching and flexing, being used to their full capacity as he threw punches, pounding flesh and smashing bone. It felt good, somehow right, to use his full strength to subdue another person – especially a monster like Rod – making him scream and then silencing those screams, turning the lights out behind his eyes.

Then Khan felt the world rush back to him and he pushed himself off Rod, almost stumbling away from him. He looked down at the man's still body, his face half crushed, a halo of blood around his head, his chest caved in where Khan had made sure his ribs were properly broken.

Khan looked down at his fist, covered with Rod's blood and his own. This hand that had touched Beth so carefully had just killed a man - one of his crew, his family – in the most brutal way possible. He could not imagine ever touching her again.

"Khan, what is it?" Cailin was shaking him. He reacted instinctively, pushing her away so she fell back onto the floor. She looked up at him, so much stronger than Beth but still hurt by him and frightened of him, if only for a moment.

She got to her feet and turned to the others who were still fighting. Dyret seemed to be struggling in his fight with Rex, though Khan did not know why. Dyret was the strongest of all the Augments in this crew – he could kill his opponent with a single blow, yet he was holding back, fighting too carefully. Cailin went to help him – it was what Khan should have done – but he just watched as she grabbed Rex's arm, giving Dyret an opening to deliver a strong uppercut, knocking Rex out cold.

Hatari was also receiving help from an even less likely source; Khan watched with fascination as Spock delivered a crippling nerve pinch to the hulking Larron and Hatari got to her feet and delivered an even more crippling knee to the groin.

Larron fell to the ground, dropping his phaser. Hatari picked it up, pointing it at Larron but looking curiously at Spock. She had never seen a Vulcan before. And yet she smiled gratefully at him, unafraid of his pointed ears and the green blood smeared across his chin.

Meanwhile, Dyret and Cailin were dragging the two unconscious Augments over to lay by Larron's cringing, twisting form. Dyret went to Rod's body and examined it carefully, finally closing Rod's eyes and then turning to look at Khan with reproachful disappointment.

It was in that moment Khan realized he no longer belonged with his crew. This was a different time and he was stuck in the past as much as Ram. He was the force that had led them down the path of violence and destruction that had made them war criminals in the first place. No matter how much he wanted to be different, he still had the taste for violence and the hunger for power growling in his gut, and as long as he had a crew of Augments at his command, no one would be safe, least of all them.

"Dyret, come here," Khan said, waving the young man over.

Dyret approached carefully and Khan saw determination in his eyes. The boy also realized Khan did not belong, and he probably had it in his mind to challenge Khan if necessary. Even at nineteen he had more wisdom than Khan ever would and Khan would not force Dyret to fight him.

He led him off to the side, out of earshot of the others, and Spock.

"I'm going to make sure Beth left the planet safely."

Dyret thought about this for a moment. "That's why you sent her away with Arma. So she could escape?"

Khan nodded.

"Can we leave the planet as well?"

Khan pointed at the ships behind Dyret. "These are the only way for you. I will try to help Arma return and I will spare Skinner if I can, but don't expect Ram or me to return."

"No," Dyret agreed. He held out a hand to Khan. "Thank you for finding us."

"Take care of them," Khan said and shook his hand, his bloody knuckles contrasted to Dyret's smooth skin. Khan wondered if the young man's hands would stay so unscarred. As strong as Dyret was, he seemed reluctant to use his strength to hurt others, only to help them. Any scars he gained in his lifetime would be a testament to his kindness and not his ferocity.

"Be careful," Dyret said, and he turned and walked away without a backwards glance.

Khan approached the third and last hovercycle that had been unloaded from the freighter. As he started the engine he felt a hand on his shoulder. Fighting the urge to attack its owner, he turned around and looked at Spock.

"I'm coming with you," Spock said. "You'll need my help."

And the Vulcan probably wanted to make sure Khan didn't try to escape. Perhaps his crew had partially redeemed themselves in Spock's eyes, but Khan was still a wanted terrorist.

Khan nodded and threw his leg over the hovercycle. He was glad there would be someone to hold him back.

* * *

**I considered ending this chapter at the first line break when we weren't sure if Khan was dead or alive, but I thought those of you getting nervous with all the cliffhangers would not appreciate that :) Hope you all liked this chapter, and Khan's mutual separation from his crew. But Starfleet is still gunning for them, and Ram is hot on Beth's heels. More excitement to come. Thanks for reading!**


	42. Chapter 42

**Caution: Adult content - strong sexual language and concepts**

* * *

**Chapter 42**

Arma stared as Beth used an autosuture to seal the deep gash on her forearm and the cuts around her wrists.

"You didn't have these in your time?" Beth asked the Augment.

"I can't even comprehend how it works," Arma admitted, touching Beth's skin lightly when she was finished. There were light scars where the sealant had fused the skin, but even those would fade in a few days. "There are no stitches or adhesives," she marveled.

"No, of course not," Beth said. "I've heard of people taping wounds in combat when there's no medic around, but what do you mean by stitches?"

"With a needle and thread." Arma mimed the action of pushing a needle into Beth's arm and out the other side. "To hold the skin together."

Beth had never heard of such a thing. Her mother had taught her how to patch tears in her clothes with needle and thread, but she would never have thought to use them to patch someone's skin. "Wouldn't that hurt?"

Arma laughed. "I suppose it seems barbaric to you."

Beth laughed as well. "But practical, I guess. Look, do you have any scars?"

Arma nodded. "Of course. We were engineered to heal quickly but scarring is necessary."

"Show me one." Beth adjusted the setting on the autosuture as Arma put the rifle down and rolled up her left sleeve, exposing a round, puckered scar an inch wide, inside her elbow. Beth recognized it as a bullet wound. She had seen them on moose and wolves before in Alaska, but never on a person. "Hold still, it will sting," she said, and scanned it with the device. It took longer than normal for it to soften the scar tissue and liquefy the skin. "Okay?" Beth asked. Arma seemed not to hear; she was staring at her scar in fascination.

Beth made a third pass with the device and it healed the skin, fusing it with antibodies to prevent swelling and infection. "There," she said, stepping back. She was not a nurse, but she had to admit it was a neat job.

"Amazing," Arma said, touching her arm. "I've had that scar since I was seven years old."

Beth's smile faltered. "You were shot when you were seven?"

Arma nodded. "I was one of the lucky ones. I lived in an Augment stronghold in Brazil but our compound in Fortaleza was raided when I was a child. Our adults were all executed but the children were put into work camps. We were experimented on and abused; most of my scars come from that time in my life. I was fifteen when Khan rescued us. He was just eighteen but already in command of his own unit. He freed me, and the others, and made the humans suffer for what they had done to us." She looked up at Beth, her eyes hot with sincerity. "I would do anything for him."

Beth nodded, beginning to understand what had shaped the man she knew and loved.

Arma picked up the medical scanner on the counter beside the shoulder bag Beth had brought with the PADD inside. "What does this one do?" she asked, turning the scanner on. She pointed it at Beth, who instinctively covered her stomach with both hands, as if to hide the babies growing in her womb. Arma looked down at Beth's hands and slowly set the scanner down.

She seemed to think for a long time – at least it felt like an eternity to Beth. "Is it Khan's?" she finally asked.

Beth didn't know what to say. Who else's could she say it was?

But Arma didn't wait for an answer. She just nodded in understanding. "I'm jealous of you," she said.

"Please don't tell the others," Beth begged, stepping forward and reaching out to the other woman.

Arma took a step back and picked up the rifle. She didn't point it at Beth, but held it between them like a barrier. "I wouldn't do that to Khan," she said evenly. "Ram would kill him. I've suspected him of trying to usurp Khan's leadership for years, but Khan's original crewmembers are too loyal. Something like this could turn them, though. Ram's been trying to fill the ranks with his own people. I managed to block most of them but…"

Then Arma stopped talking and tilted her head to one side. "I hear an engine," she said, taking the rifle to the window. "It's not a hovercycle."

A few seconds later Beth heard the noise as well - it sounded like a small ship. She went to the window and stood beside Arma to watch a Starfleet shuttle land on the ground about fifty yards from the research station. A minute later the rear door opened and Captain Kirk stepped out, followed by a woman Beth recognized as Lieutenant Uhura, the Enterprise's chief communications officer.

Arma raised the rifle, aiming it at the pair. They were out in the open, walking quickly toward the research station. There was nothing for them to hide behind; if Arma shot at them she could easily kill them both.

"No," Beth said, pulling on Arma's shoulder. "Don't shoot them, they're my friends."

The Augment gave Beth a look that said she didn't care whose friends they were.

"If you kill them others will come," Beth said. "They're looking for me. Khan sent me here so I could get away. He'd want you to let me leave with them. You can tell the others I tried to escape and you shot me."

"Those aren't my orders," Arma said, raising the rifle again.

"Please, Arma. Humans are not your enemy, not anymore. If you shoot them you will start another war, and it will be a war against a whole federation of planets, not just the human race."

This made Arma hesitate. "Khan said you were the only one who knew how to get off this planet."

"He was just raising my value to protect me," Beth said. "He was trying to keep his children safe."

Kirk and Uhura rounded the corner out of sight. Arma lowered the rifle and looked sideways at Beth. "How many children?"

"Two," Beth replied. "Now hide, please. They don't need to know you're even here. I'll lead them away and you go back to Khan. I promise he won't be angry, but let me show you the amplifier he wanted."

Beth went to the communications console and lifted it, pointing to the orb sitting like a golden egg in its nest of wires. Arma reached for it but they heard the approaching footsteps and Beth quickly closed the console. She wouldn't let Kirk take the orb back to the Enterprise.

Arma dashed out the front door just in time as Kirk came around the corner from the back corridor, his phaser raised. He pointed it at Beth but lowered it when he realized who she was.

"Where is he?" he asked as Uhura came through the door behind him, also training her phaser on Beth. She didn't lower it when she saw who Kirk was talking to – she narrowed her eyes and looked even more likely to shoot.

"Which one?" Beth asked.

"Khan," Kirk answered.

"Spock," Uhura said at the same time.

"Khan has left the planet," Beth said. "I know where Spock is. I can take you."

She picked up her bag from the counter and slung it over her shoulder. When she started towards the door Uhura followed, but Kirk was not so easily led. "How did Khan leave the planet?"

Beth turned back. "There was a ship in a storage building south of here. He took it but I don't know where he was going. The ship was warp-capable so he could be in another sector by now."

"Was he alone?"

"Yes."

"When was this?"

Beth did not blink. "Yesterday afternoon." Kirk needed to believe her. If he insisted on searching the buildings in the south he would be killed by the Augments. If he came back with reinforcements there would be a full-scale battle that could kill them all. "Let me take you to Spock. We'll use your shuttle."

This time she went out the front door without waiting. She would take them to the place she had beamed Spock. She would have to avoid the southern buildings but hopefully Spock would see the shuttle and come to meet them.

When she reached the bottom of the steps she turned around to make sure Kirk was following. She looked up at the Captain and saw him stop on the top step, looking past her, his phaser half-raised. Uhura stopped in her tracks as well, halfway down the stairs, her eyes focused on the same spot as Kirk's.

"Walker…" Kirk said, maybe trying to warn Beth. Whatever they were tracking with their eyes was getting closer and closer to her.

Beth yelped when she felt an arm wrap around her neck, yanking her up and off the ground with incredible force. She had almost gotten used to the way Khan could pick her up so easily, but this was a different Augment – whoever had her by the neck was definitely trying to hurt her. She grabbed the arm of her attacker, pulling up on it to take pressure off her neck which felt like it was about to break.

"I've been waiting all day for this," a deep voice growled in her ear.

Ram.

Beth struggled with new vigor, partly out of fear but also because Khan wouldn't have let Ram follow her if he could have helped it. She knew something had happened to him.

Kirk and Uhura surrendered their weapons to a second Augment Beth didn't recognized. He was pointing the rifle at them.

"Arma," Beth whispered.

Ram hissed at the name. "We caught her when she came out. She was going to let you escape and I couldn't forgive that. We were listening to your conversation." He squeezed her even more tightly around the neck. "We heard everything."

Beth's heart sank. After everything Khan had risked to get her away from Ram she had literally walked into his arms.

"Who are you?" Kirk demanded, but Ram ignored him.

"It's too bad Khan isn't alive to see the things I'm going to do to you," Ram said and he used his free hand to grope Beth roughly between her legs. "It's been a long time since I've fucked a Secondary and I never thought I'd get the chance again. I think I'll keep you for a while and take my time."

Beth hardly reacted. Khan was dead and suddenly nothing else mattered.

"Get your hands off her," Kirk shouted, glaring at both Ram and the Augment holding the gun.

"Jealous, are you?" Ram asked, laughing. "I remember how the humans reacted to the Secondaries. Their pheromones lowered our guard and evoked certain physical responses, but our enhanced immunity made us more resistant to their… charms… but humans went absolutely crazy over them, given enough time and exposure. The irony was delicious; the very creatures they had designed to control us became our most valuable weapon against them, at least for a while."

"What are you talking about?" Kirk asked. "What do you mean by Secondaries?"

"Oh, please be quiet if you can't keep up." Ram pointed his finger at the other Augment. "Shoot him if he asks another stupid question."

Beth let go of the arm choking her, hoping her neck _would_ break. She didn't care. Ram was going to kill her and her unborn children like he'd already killed Khan. He would probably kill the Captain and Uhura. There was nothing any of them could do to stop him.

"Khan never understood the role that rape plays in war," Ram continued, talking louder as he warmed to the subject. "He thought it was just a tool to traumatize and dehumanize the enemy, and he mistakenly thought the threat of it was just as powerful as the act itself.

What he didn't appreciate at all was the bonding effect it has on men. When they commit such a despicable act together, it forms an attachment between them, a sort of trust. You're going to help me forge that bond of trust with my new crew, Beth." He laughed, "And maybe your pretty friends will as well."

The other Augment laughed. "I want the blond."

Captain Kirk grabbed hold of his rifle, pushing down on it with all his weight. Uhura joined him and between them they managed to point it to the ground, though the Augment was not close to releasing his grip on it. Ram loosened his hold on Beth's neck slightly and at that moment something collided with both of them, knocking them sideways.

Ram landed on top of Beth but his arm was no longer around her neck. When he pushed himself to his feet Beth looked up to see Arma wrestling with Ram. He was taller and stronger than her, but she was fast and determined.

For a split second she cast her eyes on Beth. "Run!" she shouted, and it cost her a viscous punch to the throat.

But Beth would make the most of this diversion. If she could get inside the building then she might be able to use the transporter to save them.

She clambered to her feet and started for the stairs when she heard a gunshot. She turned around and the first thing she saw was a flock of blazon birds taking off from the forest floor in unison, creating a red cloud that settled in the trees. Beth wished she could fly to safety like that.

Then she saw Arma clutching her side where dark blood was seeping into her gray uniform. Kirk and Uhura were laying on the ground and the second Augment was standing over them, swinging his gun from Arma back to point at them.

Ram held Arma by one arm and seemed to stop his attack for a moment to watch her bleed, but then he suddenly threw one last punch to her side, directing it straight at the fresh bullet wound. She grunted in pain and Beth couldn't help but think of the young girl who'd been shot at seven years old and how much she'd endured just to have her life end so brutally at the hands of this maniac. Arma fell to the ground and Ram turned around looking for Beth. She knew she wouldn't have time to get inside the building. She pulled out the PADD from her bag instead. She could use it to transport herself somewhere… anywhere but here.

Then Ram started to walk towards her, slowly so she had time to anticipate the suffering to come.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, smiling cruelly.

Even as slow as he was moving he would reach her before she could transport anywhere. Beth looked down so he wouldn't have the satisfaction of seeing the fear in her eyes. She would just take him with her, so at least he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else. If her last act in life was protecting others from Ram and sparing herself a painful end at his hands, she could be satisfied with that. She focused on the screen of the PADD. She wouldn't have time to enter new coordinates – she'd have to select from a previous destination in the old log. She scrolled through them quickly and selected one. She suddenly started to laugh.

Ram didn't like it. He grabbed her wrist roughly. "What do you have there?"

Beth felt something pop in her wrist where he squeezed it and a sharp pain shot up her arm. But she would not cry out and she would not drop the PADD. Her free hand was shaking as it tapped the final key to engage the transporter beam inside the research station.

She looked up at Ram and smiled through gritted teeth. "Something new."

* * *

The first thing she felt was her wrist snap as Ram squeezed it hard enough to break the bones. Beth knew he was panicking and even in her pain that thought made her happy. He had no idea what was happening to him – how could he even imagine that it was possible to disassemble his molecules in one place and reassemble them somewhere else almost instantaneously? She laughed, imagining what he would think when he realized his molecules had been reassembled in the vacuum of space.

But her laugh turned into a choke as she exhaled and found there was nothing for her to inhale. Beth tried not to panic, even as she felt her tongue burning as her saliva started to boil in her mouth. Ram had released her wrist, his hands covering his own mouth and throat. His face was pure terror and Beth kicked him away from her. If she was going to die she didn't want her last thoughts to be of Ram.

Beth fought the dizziness and tried to reach the transporter on the planet using the PADD. She tapped the screen a few times, feeling her broken wrist spasm in pain. The PADD was working but there was no connection. She was too far from the surface, there was too much interference to connect. Beth tried not to feel disappointed. It would have been too perfect to punish Ram in a manner befitting the man who had killed Khan, and get to live as well.

Beth looked down at the PADD one last time. She suspected her muscles were so locked around it by now that if they found her body they would not be able to pry it out of her cold hand. She wanted them to find her, and maybe if they found Khan they would bury them together on Centula. If only she had a way to tell someone that was her dying wish - maybe she could type it out... but no, everything was already starting to fade.

Using the last moments of her consciousness, Beth pushed the medical alert button on the side of the PADD so it would broadcast an emergency signal. The signal was intended to be used inside a starship or hospital - it was too weak to reach the planet or any passing ships, but maybe when the Enterprise came around in orbit, or if the Ishita ever arrived, they would pick up the signal and find her.

Beth floated around to face Centula, and as she let go of her life she looked down at the red earth in between gray and purple storming clouds. It was beautiful, and even more beautiful was the idea that she was looking down at Khan's final resting place, and maybe he was with her now, waiting for her to join him.

* * *

**Argh, so sad, and so frustrating that Beth doesn't suspect Khan is still alive! He's racing towards her as she's losing consciousness in space - can she be saved or is it already too late? How will Khan react if he thinks he's lost her forever? This was an emotional one - but hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading :)**


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

As Khan and Spock sped towards the research station Khan saw another hovercycle pulled over in the trees, about a quarter mile before the station. Ram and Skinner must have finished their approach on foot to avoid being heard.

Khan squeezed the throttle on his own bike even harder though he knew it could go no faster. He had a heavy feeling that everything had gone wrong. Beth should be on the Ishita by now, but what if it never came? She was all he had left – she had to be alright.

When the station came into view, Khan immediately saw Skinner standing out front. He was holding the rifle and shouting at two people. Spock's hands resting on Khan's hips gripped him tighter before Khan recognized who they were. One was Captain Kirk and the other was the female officer that had helped Spock apprehend Khan in San Francisco.

Then Khan saw a gray uniform lying on the ground and as they got closer he recognized the long graceful neck and gentle curve of the hip, even under the ill-fitting jumpsuit. Arma was down, and Ram and Beth were nowhere in sight. Khan felt sick and knew instinctively that wherever they were they were together.

"Hold on," Khan shouted over his shoulder to Spock and he felt the Vulcan lean forward and his arms wrap around Khan's waist.

Khan aimed the hovercycle at Skinner, not letting up on the speed. Skinner was still shouting and waving the rifle. Somewhere in the back of Khan's mind he wondered what had the Augment so riled up, but he was glad Skinner was distracted so he didn't notice them approaching until it was too late. Khan lined up the pointed nose of the bike with Skinner's left shoulder; he didn't want to kill him or knock him out, just injure him enough that he couldn't fight back.

It felt like the hovercycle had collided with a boulder instead of a man. Skinner went sprawling across the ground and Khan and Spock flew off the bike, landing in a tangled heap at the bottom of a tree. The hovercycle spun out of control and crashed into the station steps, exploding in flames.

Khan recovered before Spock and leapt to his feet, running towards the gun Skinner had dropped on the ground. Kirk picked it up first and pointed it at Khan, but Khan was not about to stop now.

"Where are they?" he demanded, slowing his stride but still approaching.

"Hold it there, Khan," Kirk said, also looking down at Skinner, who was rolling onto his right side, groaning in pain. From the way he held his arm it looked like his left scapula had been shattered.

"Where are they!" Khan shouted, now just a few strides away.

Kirk fired the gun and Khan dodged to the right so the bullet just scraped the edge of his left arm. He didn't flinch and reached out to grab the muzzle, easily wrenching it out of Kirk's hands. He didn't point the gun at Kirk or even the woman, though in another life he would not have hesitated to use her to make Kirk talk.

"Where did they go?" he asked again.

Kirk glared and Khan wondered why the captain wasn't used to this humiliation by now.

"Captain," Spock said, coming up behind Khan. "Is Lieutenant Walker with the other Augment?"

"Spock," the woman said, reaching a hand out to him, which he took for a brief moment. So, she was attached to the Vulcan commander in some way. Khan had suspected as much in his first encounter with her. In the past he would have made note of that fact to exploit it later, but now he just wanted Beth and everything else was a waste of his time and attention.

Well, almost everything. Khan handed Spock the rifle and Kirk stared in confusion as Khan went to check on Arma, laying face down on the ground. She still had a pulse, but there was a lot of blood on the ground around her.

"Yes, Walker left with the big one," Kirk finally said. "He made you look like a pacifist. He told us that you were dead. She beamed them out of here, a few minutes ago."

It was exactly what Khan had feared; she was alone with Ram. "Beamed them where?" He would find her. He would bring her back, or follow her, whatever it took.

"She didn't say," Kirk said. "She didn't have time, just a few seconds before he grabbed her."

"But she laughed," the woman added.

"Laughed?" Spock asked.

Khan didn't like the sound of that. Beth was capable of anything if she felt trapped and reckless. He stood and looked to Spock. "Help this one," and he pointed to Arma. "She's like the others."

He stepped over her and ran towards the station, leaping through the fire of the crashed hovercycle and taking the steps four at a time.

He stopped in front of the communication console and tried to think. She'd thought he was dead and all hope was lost, so where would she have sent herself and Ram? To the cave? Would she have wanted to die somewhere she'd once felt happy and safe? No, she would want to protect the others from Ram – she would take him someplace it would be difficult or impossible for him to return, some place he wouldn't be able to hurt her, some place she could program quickly, or something already in the transporter log.

Then he knew, and he almost laughed himself. It was brilliant… hopelessly brilliant, just like all of her desperate acts. _A few minutes_, Kirk had said. He hoped he was wrong or it could already be too late.

Khan felt his hands wanting to tremble for the first time in his life as he operated the scanner and turned it out to the exosphere, to the spot where he had earlier beamed the large Centulan rats. He tried not to imagine Beth's moments of suffering before she passed out, tried not to think of how cold and alone she must have felt.

Then Khan saw something on the scanner's screen – a biological form floating a few kilometers from the place she would have beamed to. He locked onto it with the transporter, hope choking him so he could barely breathe as he watched the spot on the floor where she would materialize.

Then the form took shape and it was too large to be Beth. It was Ram, limp and lifeless, his face frozen in a portrait of panic and pain. Khan stared. Ram would have lasted longer than Beth – he was larger and more resilient – if he was already dead…

No, Khan would not accept it. He turned back to the controls, desperately scanning in a wider circle. She had to be there. She had to be alright.

"Khan." Spock had come into the building through the back entrance. He no longer had the rifle but even if he had shot Khan through the heart it would not stop him looking for Beth. Even if she was dead he still might be able to bring her back. He told himself it was not too late.

Spock bent down to examine Ram's body. "Where is Beth?"

"She beamed herself and Ram into orbit. I'm still scanning for her."

Spock stopped for just a second to appreciate the courage and desperation of such an act. "Could she have beamed herself back?"

"Not through the geomagnetic interference." Khan heard his voice cracking as he tried to maintain control.

"Then she is already dead," Spock told him matter-of-factly.

"There's still time!" Khan shouted. If the Spock wasn't going to be useful then he might as well leave with Kirk and his girlfriend.

"No, there is not," the commander said. "The Captain just told me that Starfleet is preparing to launch an attack on Centula. They were told about your crew being stored here, along with those freighters. The Federation won't let you leave the planet, they are going to destroy all of their facilities, including this one and the buildings in the south."

Khan tried to tune Spock out, but he heard every word. He widened the scanner's search, switching from searching for small biological life forms to the large energy signals of starships. He saw them, at least a dozen small destroyers and a Galaxy-class starship, with more appearing on the scanner's screen. "How long do we have?"

"According to the Captain, fifty or sixty minutes."

Khan looked down at Ram's body. Spock was right, Beth was already dead, and there was no time to revive her even if he could find her body. Khan had managed to fail everyone he had ever loved, but maybe there was still a chance to save his old crew from annihilation.

"What about Arma?" he asked.

Spock tilted his head, confused.

"The injured female."

"She's unconscious and she's lost a lot of blood, but her wounds are not fatal if she gets immediate treatment."

Khan looked down at the counter at the few medical devices he had salvaged from the medevac shuttle. There had to be more on the freighters. He knew how to use the modern medical machines but would he find them in time?

"Spock, do you remember where the shuttle crashed?" he asked, turning back to the communication console.

"Yes, of course."

"Could you find your way back from the crash site to the research station again?"

"Easily," Spock said. "Why…?"

"It would take fifteen minutes at a slow jog, wouldn't it?"

Khan put his hands on the console and Spock stepped forward. "Khan, don't do it. They'll shoot you down if you try to leave the planet. Come with us back to the Enterprise. We'll take you and as many of your crew as possible."

"For what?" Khan asked. "Your people sending destroyers to level this planet are not going to listen to anything my people have to say."

"Then I'll speak for them. I've seen that some of them are good and decent and should be given a second chance. I'll negotiate the truce."

Khan smiled. "Thank you for that," he said. "But forgive me if I don't want to put my trust in your Federation. Admiral Marcus and Dr. Neel both wore the same insignia you wear. Please don't try to stop us, Spock. Even if you don't get caught in Starfleet's crossfire, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"No, Khan," Spock said, reaching out his hand as Khan energized the transporter beams to send him, Kirk and the female officer to the clearing where the shuttle had crashed. They would have plenty of time to return before the strike on Centula, but they would not return in time to stop him, Arma and Skinner from joining the others in the southern compound.

Let Starfleet come. Let the Federation rain its most deadly weapons down upon them. Khan's people had been prisoners for three hundred years, and this was the day he was going to set them free.

* * *

The first thing she felt was the burning in her mouth and eyes, followed by pins and needles all over her body. Then Beth breathed in and it felt like she was breathing fire - it burned through her nasal cavity all the way down her trachea and into her lungs – but she had never been so grateful to take a breath in all her life.

She coughed painfully and opened her eyes. She could see light and shapes but had no idea where she was. She tried to talk but she couldn't even make a hoarse croaking noise. She moved her arms, groping for anything to hold onto and was rewarded with the sound of things falling onto a hard floor. She wanted to cry with relief that she could at least hear, but her eyes felt so dry and sore she didn't think she had any tears left.

There were footsteps and cool hands on her arms and a female voice she didn't recognize. "Miss, you're alright. You're safe now."

Beth couldn't believe it. "Where," she whispered and the voice got closer as the person strained to hear her.

"What did you say?"

"Where… where…"

"You're onboard the Phalanx Fifty-Three," the woman said. "A Starfleet destroyer. We're in orbit around a planet called Centula."

"Babies…" Beth whispered next, wishing she could see the woman, to make sure she was real. Each time she blinked it felt like sandpaper dragging over her eyeballs.

The woman laughed. "They're fine," she said. "They're doing a lot better than you; your body is doing a good job insulating them and you didn't go without oxygen long enough to hurt them. Once we've got you stabilized we'll transport you over to the Ishita. When you're better I bet you'll have one hell of a story to tell Admiral Green."

The Ishita. It had finally arrived, but not in time to save Beth. Miraculously this other ship, a destroyer, had been in the right place at the right time. As the woman continued to talk, about her ship detecting the emergency medical alert Beth had been broadcasting, Beth wondered what a destroyer was doing at Centula in the first place.

All she could imagine was they had come to protect the Ishita in case they'd been flying into a trap.

"But we'll have you off the ship before they call for the strike formation," the woman said, keeping up the one-sided conversation.

The words _strike formation_ caught Beth's attention through the pain of trying to swallow. The destroyer was there to launch an attack, and it wasn't alone. There was only one explanation: they knew about the Augments and had come to destroy them once and for all.

"No," Beth whispered wretchedly, her muscles going limp. The thought of the frozen Augments being killed by airstrikes was too sad to bear after Khan's death. Yes, the strikes would get rid of the Augments who were like Ram and the man he'd brought with him to the research station, but how many were cruel like him, and how many were kind like Dyret? How many were twisted somewhere in the middle like Khan, who had been shaped into a ruthless weapon by war but was also capable of great tenderness and sacrifice?

And Arma… Beth didn't want to think of her being shot at again, even if she was already dead. Beth couldn't know if Arma had survived the gunshot or not. How much could an Augment's body withstand? Even Ram had thought Arma was dead before she had reappeared outside the station to try to save Beth, and if Ram didn't know…

Beth gasped, ignoring the pain and sitting up.

Ram thought he had killed Arma but she had survived to fight back.

Ram had told Beth Khan was dead, but if he had used the same phaser or other modern weapon on both Khan and Arma then maybe Khan had survived as well.

And now there was a fleet of destroyers amassing in Centula's orbit to end him once and for all! Beth reached out her hands, groping for the woman. She got a fistful of hair and a startled cry, and she pulled them both closer. "Stop them," she said, trying to put as much force and conviction into her whisper as possible.

She felt cool hands prying her fingers open. "We are going to stop them," the woman said. "That's why we're here. They won't hurt you anymore."

"No," Beth struggled as the hands tried to hold her down. "You stop. Don't do it." She was aware of the taste of blood in the back of her throat but she couldn't stop now. "Please… don't kill them."

"You're not making sense," the woman said, and then called to another medic. "David, come and help me."

"Please," Beth said, feeling another pair of hands on her legs as she tried to kick herself off the bed.

"You'll have to sedate her," the man, David, said. "She's too traumatized."

"She was fine a minute ago."

"She was found floating in space gripping onto a medi-PADD with a broken wrist. She's not going to be fine for a long time."

"No," Beth said, trying to lay still so she wouldn't seem so hysterical, but it was too late. She felt the hypospray being pushed against her neck and heard the injection. Her head sunk back onto the bed. "Khan," she said softly as everything faded to black.

* * *

**Phew, Beth and the little ones are okay, and Khan is sure confident he can get his people off Centula, but at what cost? And even if they both make it through alive, will they ever cross paths again if they both think the other has been killed? Thanks for reading, and all the reviews!**


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

All the nervous blazons, the crystalline spiders and biting cicadas… gone.

Every tree, every shrub, every shard of life, destroyed.

Beth had been found floating in space, proving there were advanced transporter capabilities on Centula. The Federation had to assume other technology was being utilized and rogue Augments could be anywhere on the ground or in the sky.

Because of Beth's courageous sacrifice, Starfleet's attack force had not just leveled the buildings, not just burned the valley, they had ignited the entire planet's atmosphere.

And Admiral Green had ordered the attack forty-five minutes ahead of schedule.

Spock, Kirk and Uhura had barely made it back to their shuttle before the strike began. On returning to space they had been beamed onto the Ishita and Admiral Green had ordered their shuttle destroyed, in case it was hiding stowaways.

Now Spock stood on the threshold of the Ishita's sickbay and looked at Beth as she watched the small red planet burn. The destroyers were returning to orbit. They had been gone almost twelve hours, laying waste to Centula and making passes around the planet to ensure no ship left the surface, no life form escaped annihilation.

"I have not withdrawn my offer," Spock told her. She did not react and he took a few steps forward. "I will still take you to New Vulcan to help you raise your children." He felt differently about her than when he'd first made the offer, but he was still responsible for her predicament and she would be safe there.

She still did not seem to hear him. Spock frowned; the doctors had said all her senses had fully recovered. He finally went to stand beside her. "Beth?" He touched her shoulder and looked at her face. It was full of loathing as she watched the ships return.

"He would kill you just for making that offer," she said, her voice low and rough. Spock could not tell if that was an effect of her scorched throat or her burned-out heart. She turned her head and glared at Spock's hand on her shoulder. "And if you touch me again I'll kill you myself."

"He's dead, Beth," Spock said, but removed his hand.

She laughed drily. "If _you_ managed to survive, Khan is somewhere thriving. I'll find him."

"No." Spock knew the sooner she let Khan go the sooner she would start healing. It was not possible the Augment could have escaped the planet without being detected. Even if he had acquired the cloaking device from the medevac shuttle, it could not possibly cloak a mid-sized Antares-class freighter.

And Khan had had no warning that the attack had been moved up by forty-five minutes. Spock had told him he had fifty or sixty minutes, but it was barely fifteen. Khan would have been caught by surprise on the ground, with only seconds to react once the first torpedoes were launched.

But Spock did not want to tell Beth that her being rescued from space had inadvertently accelerated the strike and sealed Khan's fate. It would be cruel, and she had suffered more than enough.

"I know Khan is dead," he told her.

"How? Did you see his body? Did you check his pulse? He's very good at faking."

He wanted to tell her yes, he'd seen the body and checked the pulse, but such a specific lie was almost impossible for him, even if it was for Beth's own good.

"You probably weren't even there," she said, looking back out the window.

"There were three others," Spock told her quietly. "I saw them as well. One blond boy and two women."

Beth opened her mouth and closed it again, a crack forming in her fierce expression. She clenched her jaw and Spock noticed the focus of her eyes shift from staring outside to looking at his reflection in the window. They were pleading with him to take back his words.

"I'm sorry." He reached out his hand again and she knocked it to the side.

"I told you…" and she started throwing a fist towards his cheek. Spock saw it coming and decided not to block it – in his greatest moments of grief it had proved therapeutic to lash out at the closest convenient face – but just as he braced himself for Beth's punch she held it back, her fist shaking like it wanted to follow through even if she didn't.

"You'd probably enjoy it," she said hopelessly, her voice breaking. She dropped the fist as her eyes filled with tears. Covering them with her other hand she took a deep breath. "I can't be here, Spock," she said. "If you really want to help me, tell me how I can get off this ship."

* * *

Beth followed Dr. McCoy and Spock down the long white corridor, two female security officers flanking her and a third bringing up the rear. They walked past people Beth knew – former colleagues, potential friends she probably never would have talked to anyway. They stared and she looked each of them in the eye. She wanted them to remember her like this: the woman who had spent almost two weeks with the most brilliant, dangerous man in the galaxy and was pregnant with his children.

It had been Spock's idea to let it be known Beth was pregnant. She had revolted against telling anyone at first, but then he'd explained that Admiral Green and other Starfleet commanders were already talking about the danger that Beth's children presented to the Federation and dropping hints that maybe they should not be allowed to reach term.

There were only two things that could keep them halfway safe. The first was as many people knowing about them as possible. The second was the reason Beth was being escorted through the Enterprise's corridors to the brig. It was the safest place on the ship, so she was officially a prisoner, charged with conspiring with Khan to kidnap Commander Spock from the medical outpost.

It was a severe enough charge to warrant immediate transport back to Earth, and since Beth had never been officially discharged from duty, Captain Kirk was still Beth's commanding officer. He was allowed to arrest Beth on the Ishita and escort her onto the Enterprise and there wasn't anything Admiral Green could do to stop him.

"You should be comfortable," Spock told her as they arrived outside the cells. "But there's no privacy. You'll be under constant surveillance."

"Isn't that the point?" she asked him. She looked at the three cells in this section of the brig. "Which one was his?"

Spock pointed to the middle cell and Beth walked into the illuminated white room. As the screen came down she tried to imagine Khan in this space, filling it and owning it and making it the command center of the Enterprise even as Captain Kirk and everyone else thought he was their prisoner. The thought made Beth smile.

"I need to take a blood sample," Dr. McCoy told her, spinning the round access portal into the middle of the screen. Beth put her arm through and McCoy laughed. "Talk about deja vu all over again," he said as he pushed up her sleeve and extracted her blood. "I should check to see if I have any more dead tribbles laying around."

Beth didn't know what he was talking about and she didn't care. "Leave me alone now," she said, pulling her arm back and going to sit on the bench on the left side of the cell.

Dr. McCoy raised an eyebrow but left without a word. Spock lingered, watching Beth.

"I think he preferred me when I was flighty," she said, tugging down her sleeve.

She looked at Spock and wondered how she had ever been attracted to him. Things had definitely changed since the decimation of Centula. It wasn't just the loss of Khan, although that was the filter through which she felt everything now, and it wasn't being pregnant and knowing that the children she carried were the last remnants of the man she loved and the love they shared… she had changed within herself.

There would never be another man for her and she wanted all men to understand that. Khan may have been dead, but she still belonged to him and if he wasn't around to stake his claim, she would do it for him. If he couldn't take care of her and the children, she would take care of everyone herself. She felt like her own mother, fortifying herself for a lonely life with just children for company, and knowing one day they would grow up and rebel and leave her alone, just as Beth had done to her mother.

"How long until we reach Golana?" she asked, mostly to take her mind off such thoughts. Golana was a vacation planet, packed with private civilian ships she could take anywhere in the galaxy, including worlds outside Federation control.

"Two days," Spock told her.

The plan was for him to officially recant his testimony once they got close to the planet, allowing Kirk to drop the charges and dock the Enterprise at Golana for the crew to enjoy some R&R. Beth would go AWOL before Starfleet even realized she'd been released. Spock thought he would just get a slap on the wrist after what he'd been through, but Beth was incredibly grateful to him for the sacrifice of his spotless record, and to Kirk for taking her as far as Golana in the Enterprise.

Beth knew she would be a fugitive once she left the ship but she didn't mind. In a romantic way it felt right, maybe like she was on the run with Khan. It was a chance to start over and that was all she really wanted now. After so many years avoiding attachments and complications, changing postings and planets and starships, if there was one thing Beth was good at, it was starting over.

* * *

**So, Beth is all set to start a new life with the children, but she's hardened her heart with no hope of Khan returning. What happened to him, and the Augments? We know Spock is half-truthing through his teeth about "knowing" Khan is dead, but he thinks he's doing it to spare Beth, and really, is there any hope Khan made it out alive? Happy that Spock and Kirk are helping to give Beth her fresh start, but as she gets more and more pregnant it is going to be harder and harder for her to stay on the run, especially going it alone. Will she settle in time, will she be able to keep herself and the little ones safe? So many questions... thanks for following Beth through her journey, and thanks for reading as always. More to come!**


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

They had given her clothes and names of contacts and as much foreign currency as they could scrape together. Kirk had let her disembark the Enterprise at Golana two hours before anyone else so she wouldn't be accidentally observed by another crew member when she boarded whatever ship she took to whatever world she chose.

She knew Spock expected her to go to Straleb or Dessica II, or some other peaceful planet the Federation could not reach, but what he didn't realize was there were only two planets Beth would ever choose to live, and one of them had just been destroyed.

She would be safe in the land where she'd been raised. For the first eighteen years of her life she had lived with an expert on hiding and surviving in the most northern of wilds. If she could not protect her children in Alaska, she could not protect them on an alien planet.

But returning to Earth seemed an impossible dream; if there really were elements in the Federation intent on killing or controlling Khan's offspring, Beth could not just book passage to San Francisco or Mumbai. So when Beth left the Enterprise she did not go to a terminal to board another ship, she went to a quiet corner of Golana's largest city, Asek, and burrowed down.

Asek was home to the planet's wealthiest resorts, which provided an abundance of opportunities for the galaxy's undocumented workforce. Beth quickly became one of them, slaving in the kitchens of a vegetarian restaurant, earning barely enough credits to pay for a decent one-bedroom apartment. Luckily, she lived in a seedy studio apartment on the twenty-first subterranean floor of the cheapest hostel she could find. She ate three meals at her restaurant and never went out, except to work. She only spent the credits she earned on rent, not on diversions, not even on power. Every credit chip Beth saved she kept in a belt hidden under her clothes.

When she wasn't working Beth slept, sometimes for more than ten hours a day. That was her favorite time, because the more she slept the more she dreamed, and in among the normal, everyday dreams of running late for class or tracking her own footsteps in the snow to find her way home, she would sometimes dream of him.

Usually she would wake up from the excitement or the sadness the dreams caused, and she never could close her eyes again and will him to reappear, but just to see Khan again… if only for a moment… to hear his voice and feel the memory of the warmth of his body beside her, it transformed her studio apartment into the Centulan cavern they had once shared, and in that moment she felt loved.

Beth lived like this for almost two months before she realized that the belt was getting tighter around her waist. She examined herself carefully in the cracked mirror hanging behind her bathroom door. At only eight weeks pregnant, her belly was not showing, but she was gaining weight. That was good, she had to be healthy for the babies, but it was a reminder that she could not stay in her apartment forever.

She usually avoided the lower forms of life in her building – the men selling both drugs and females of almost every alien race, the other men looking for drugs and females to sell – but one night after work Beth saw one of these men standing alone beside the elevator in the lobby of her hostel and she decided it was time to approach him. Pulling on her gloves and making sure her skin was as covered as was possible without drawing attention, she walked up to him.

She had seen this man before, usually escorting women up and down the corridors or out to vehicles waiting on the street. He was human, or at least looked human to Beth. He was not particularly tall or short or fat or thin – he fit the quintessential "average height, average build" description the police always used whenever they were searching for a mugger in her building. Beth wondered how many times the police had actually been looking for this man.

"Excuse me," she said, stopping a few feet from him, just out of arm's reach. Her heart was beating fast. They were completely alone together, which was necessary for this conversation, but also frightening as hell.

He turned his head slowly, like it was a boring effort, but Beth knew he'd already been monitoring her approach. His sharp blue eyes peered at her from under the hood of a sleeveless black t-shirt that revealed Klingon-style tattoos down his arms. The eyes didn't even flicker with interest when he looked at her. Beth knew she looked exhausted after a twelve-hour shift, and with her hair pulled back in a net and her restaurant smock still over her clothes, she was not likely to attract the interest of any flesh-peddler.

That was exactly the way she wanted it. She knew if she ever got stupid or desperate enough to turn to prostitution her life would be over. Aside from the physical danger, her anomaly was the ultimate aphrodisiac. Men could be compelled to sign over everything they owned just to sleep with her one more time. No pimp would ever let her leave his service, and any child of hers would be a slave.

Beth realized the man was staring at her, waiting for whatever scintillating conversation this frumpy kitchen hand before him had to offer.

"Excuse me," she repeated. "Do you know how much a new name costs?" She cleared her throat. Her voice was out of practice. Aside from responding to orders from sous-chefs at the restaurant, this was the first person Beth had talked to in over a month.

"Marriage license is a hundred and fifty credits," the man told her, not even smiling at his own joke.

"How much to change my identity?" she clarified.

"How should I know?" he asked, looking away again.

"I…" Beth wasn't sure how to proceed without offending him. "I see you with lots of different people. I thought you might know someone who knows someone."

"I know a lot of someones." He faked a yawn, slumping further down the wall and turning his face back to her. "But I might be able to introduce you."

Finally, they were getting to it. "How much?"

"For the introduction? I know the best hacker on Golana, so…" He looked her up and down, performing the calculations in his head. "Three hundred."

Beth nodded. He'd read her right; that was exactly what she'd made that week at the restaurant. The credit chip was tucked into her bra for safe keeping until she could add it to the money belt. She turned away from the man for a moment to fish it out, then turned back and held the flimsy piece of blue plastic out to him.

He raised his eyebrows. "What, you want to meet him now?"

Beth nodded, while she still had the courage. "If he's close."

The man smiled and took the chip from her gloved hand. He didn't even look at it to make sure it was real. "Yeah, he's pretty close."

* * *

The ride into the city took twenty minutes. Beth and the man, who called himself Leon, rode in the back of a long black limousine – the kind Beth had seen him using to deliver women to their clients. It hovered silently through traffic, gliding past bright, pulsating signs advertising good times and no questions. Beth had never been to this part of Asek before.

Riding with him in a confined space, Beth began to think Leon looked a lot less bored with her. He turned her blue, plastic credit chip over in his fingers, flicking it over his bottom lip as he stared.

"You got anything on under that tent?" he asked suddenly, pointing at her kitchen smock. "We're going to a ten-star casino. They'll make us use the service entrance with you looking like that."

Beth nodded, unclasping the smock and shrugging it off her shoulders. She was glad she was just wearing a baggy pair of black pants and a long-sleeved turtleneck underneath. There was nothing enticing about that.

Leon looked disappointed with her attire, but still managed to stare at her chest as she adjusted her clothes, making sure her skin and the money belt were covered. "And your hair," he said, and leaned in to pull the hair net off her head. Her long ponytail fell over one shoulder and her honey-blond bangs fell around her face. "That's better," he said, sitting back and smiling. "If you make a good first impression you might get a counter-offer."

"I'm just here to do business," Beth said sternly, looking out the windows. The limousine was slowing down as they pulled in front of the casino's lobby.

Leon laughed as a valet opened the door for them. "It's all business, sweetheart."

* * *

**This is a bit of a change, but hopefully it's not too jarring and you're curious about where it's going as Beth tries to find her way home :) She'll need to take risks, but where will they lead her, and how much will it cost? I know some of you are anxious to find out about Khan - hang in there - all shall be revealed :) Thanks for reading, and it always makes me so happy reading everyone's comments - thanks for all the feedback!**


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

Beth had to admit the casino was a beautiful place to run a business. The main gambling hall was lined with crystal panels that glinted and refracted rainbows of light around the room. Above them was a high, domed roof that Beth assumed was covered in flickering lights, but on closer inspection appeared to be on fire. She stared at the cool, swirling blue flames as Leon led the way across the busy gaming floor.

She had expected to meet his contact in a plush hotel room or a sleek executive office. Instead, she followed Leon through a set of heavily-guarded doors and down a dark, steep flight of stairs.

"Where are we going?" she asked nervously as she groped the handrail and tried to see each step before she put her foot on it. She'd been worried Leon might try to hurt her, but now she was more afraid of falling and breaking her neck.

"This is the only way to get to him," he told her, moving easily in the dark. "They don't want people to know he's here."

"Who's _they_?" Beth asked as she reached the bottom step.

"The bosses who run this place. They run the whole city and half of Golana."

"How do you know him?"

"He doesn't get out much, but he has certain… needs."

"You bring him girls," Beth guessed.

Leon pushed a button on a security panel and a few moments later it buzzed and the heavy metal door unlocked. He leaned against it, holding it open for Beth. "He may not look it, but he's still a man."

Through the door was a control room lined with monitors. There was an overwhelming and incongruous smell of flowers in the dark room, and under that the acrid stench of disinfectant. Slouching in the middle of the monitors, his hands moving quickly over a set of controls, was a short and corpulent Kobliad male. A prominent ridge ran from the crown of his head to the tip of his nose, dividing his dark hair and making his black eyes look even larger than they were. His skin was an unhealthy, splotchy gray and as Beth got closer she could smell stale sweat on him and something else putrid, but sickly sweet and strangely familiar. He looked up as Leon and Beth entered, but his hands never stopped moving over the controls. "Leon," he said politely, with no warmth. He looked at Beth for a moment and then turned back to the monitors.

"Haal, I brought a friend to meet you."

"I see that."

"Of course you do, you see everything." Leon pointed to the monitors. "Haal here has an eye for faces. He's better than any face recognition software on the market. His bosses like to know who's trying to take their money and Haal has access to the personnel records of every organization, every corporation, the residential records of every planet in the Federation and half of those outside. He's tapped into all of them, aren't you, Haal?" Leon touched the side of his head for Beth's benefit. She looked more closely at the Kobliad and saw cables protruding from his temples and running back behind his ears.

"Even Starfleet?" Beth asked, trying to see where the cables ended up.

Haal allowed himself a brief smile. "Yes, Lieutenant Walker."

Beth stared, impressed but also concerned. What else did he know about her?

Leon chuckled. "I love it when he does that. He could tell you the name, race, age, profession and criminal record of everyone that walks into an Asek casino."

"_Almost_ everyone," Haal said and Beth heard a note of irritation in the Kobliad's voice.

"Oh, no, not again!" Leon laughed.

Haal shifted uncomfortably in his seat, scowling. "The same man again, three times this week."

Leon whistled. "The bosses can't be happy about that."

"So far he's ignored all their efforts to scare him off. He's even stopped pretending to lose once in a while. He's got so much of their money now they don't know whether to have him killed or make him a partner."

"Who?" Beth asked, confused.

Leon opened his mouth to tell her, but Haal shot him a warning look, his black eyes glinting in the light from his monitors. "Right," Leon said quickly, "The less you know the better. The reason we're here…"

"I didn't make an appointment," Haal said. "So unless you're running a promotional offer, your friend needs a new identity."

Beth nodded her confirmation. "How much?"

"It's a sliding scale, depending on what you need. For instance, do you want to work or travel?"

"Yes," Beth said. "I mean, both."

"Are you planning to leave Federation space?"

She considered lying, in case anyone ever came to these men looking for her, but if Haal gave her the wrong thing and she got caught with a forged identity it could be the last mistake she ever made. "No, I won't be leaving Federation space."

"Private or public transport?"

She knew she couldn't survive for weeks trapped on a public vessel with thousands of people pressed around her like cattle. It could only end badly for everyone. "Private. Nothing confined." It would be expensive. Even if she had enough credits to pay Haal, how many more months before she could afford transport back to Earth?

Haal nodded, "Do you require any certifications? Licenses? Professional affiliations?"

"No," Beth said, thinking they also sounded expensive. "How much?"

"Twenty-thousand," The Kobliad told her, leaning into one of the monitors to get a better look at a face on the screen.

Beth's jaw dropped. It was ten times what she was carrying, which was everything she owned. In her current job it would take two years to save that much. "I can give you two thousand now. Can you credit the rest?"

"No." Leon and Haal said in unison. Beth wondered what business it was of Leon's. She supposed he got a percentage for every customer he brought in.

"Once I have a new name, I can get a better job," Beth bargained. "I'll pay more than twenty."

"I could lend you the money," Leon said. "You could work that off in six months."

Beth knew what that meant. "No, thank you." She looked to Haal and saw he'd stopped working at the controls long enough to pick up a long curved stick. He used it to reach around his large body and scratch his own back.

It clicked in her mind where she'd come across his rotten, sweet odor before. She swallowed hard, feeling sick, and forced a smile. "Haal, maybe you and I could make our own arrangement."

He looked up at her with surprise as Leon leered. "That didn't take long."

"What did you have in mind?" Haal asked, and now his eyes dropped below Beth's face to appraise the rest of her that he could see, which Beth realized was not much.

She turned to Leon. "Could we have some privacy?"

"Haal doesn't mind, do you Haal?" But Beth walked him to the door.

When he was gone she turned around and faced the Kobliad, steeling herself for what she had to do next. He was watching her with equal parts curiosity and caution.

"You have a parasite," she finally said.

Haal laughed at that. "I've heard Leon described a few different ways, but never quite so accurately."

"No, not Leon." Beth walked over to Haal, hesitating when she got close enough to see the parts of him normally hidden behind his console. Rather than just sitting in his chair, his lower half appeared to be fused to it. Tubes drained away bodily waste, other tubes hydrated or fed him intravenously.

"When was the last time you stood up?" she asked, unable to imagine why he had done this to himself.

"I don't get paid to stand up," he said, taking no offense as she stared. His eyes flickered between Beth and the monitors. "Are you going to tell me your proposal?"

Beth walked around behind him, touching his back through his shirt. "May I?"

"Yes," he said quickly, and then, sounding embarrassed he added, "Leon's girls don't usually want to touch me."

She couldn't blame them – Haal was treating his body like little more than a life support system for his eyes and brain and it was rebelling against him in every conceivably noxious way. "I'm not one of Leon's girls."

Beth lifted the back of his shirt as he leaned forward and she was greeted by the sight of three open, festering sores running along a crease in his expansive back. "These ulcers…" she began.

"Sweat sores," he said. "They're nothing to worry about, I'm receiving treatment for them."

"For how long?" Beth asked, looking at them more closely.

"A few months."

"Any improvement?"

Haal hesitated. "They're still trying to find the right combination…"

"Like I said, you have a parasite," she told him. "Three of them, actually." She took his long scratching stick and pushed it against the largest of the sores. It oozed a clear, sweet-smelling liquid that coated the end of the stick. "Their common name is syrup suckers, and this is their syrup."

She held the stick out and Haal watched the viscous liquid drip onto the floor. "My doctor said it was puss."

"Does your puss normally smell like marshmallows?" Beth asked. "Your doctor has probably never seen this before, but I studied burrowing parasites at the Academy and I've seen this once before. Syrup suckers are invertebrates native to Rigel II but they're sometimes found where there's food with high sugar content being stored. They go deep under the skin and inject you with enzymes that convert fat cells into glucose, which they live on. Your doctor can treat the ulcers as much as you like, but they won't heal as long as you've got the parasites underneath. You're just lucky they haven't laid eggs in you yet."

"How do you know?"

"You'd be screaming in pain." It was a slight exaggeration, but Haal looked sufficiently horrified and tried to reach his arms around to feel his back.

"How do I get rid of them?"

"Carefully," Beth told him. "If you try to force them out they'll release a toxin that could paralyze you." She wondered if that was much of a threat to Haal, who had probably not moved out of his chair in years.

But he nodded fearfully. "Can you get them out of me?"

"Yes, I can do it right now," Beth said, smiling and pushing up her sleeves. "For twenty thousand credits."

* * *

Two hours later Beth exited Haal's control room. Despite the disgusting circumstances, they had been the most rewarding two hours she'd spent on Golana. In addition to using her knowledge and training to actually help someone, she had earned the new identity and the new start she'd been looking for.

Sevda. Her new name. Beth smiled, thinking of its meaning: love.

Haal had helped her choose it – he knew every name from almost every planet and what they were supposed to mean. Beth had wanted a Turkish name, because Khan had spoken fondly of the facility in Istanbul where he'd been raised. It was the closest thing he'd had to a family home.

Bethanne Sevda, that's who she had become. _Bethanne_ because she still wanted to be known as Beth – it was the name Khan had spoken when he'd looked into her eyes, and the name he'd sighed into her ear when he held her. "Anne" was also Turkish, for "mother".

"Now that's not something I usually see on a girl after she's been with Haal." Leon was sitting on the steps outside the door, looking up at Beth. "Your smile, I mean. Did you get what you needed?"

"Yes." She nodded happily. She'd even been able to keep the two thousand credits she'd saved. Earth suddenly seemed a lot closer than it had two hours earlier.

"Did you already set up the schedule?" Leon asked.

"Schedule?"

"For future visits, to work off the twenty thousand."

Beth laughed. "No, I don't owe him anything. The debt's settled." She started to climb the stairs beside him, but Leon grabbed her ankle, almost making her trip.

"What could you possibly do in two hours that was worth twenty thousand credits?" He was more than curious – Beth saw greed in his face as he looked at her.

She couldn't tell him. Haal was humiliated by his infestation and had sworn her to secrecy. If she betrayed that trust he could do anything he liked to her identity; make her a wanted killer, a Romulan spy, or worse. "Ask Haal," she said, trying to pull her leg free. "Let go of me, Leon."

He did, and stood, climbing to stand on her step, too close for comfort, too intent on intimidating her. Beth tried to climb higher but he blocked her path with a hand on the railing. "I wish _all_ my girls made that much."

"I'm not one of your girls, Leon." This was exactly what she had been afraid of, except that this time she didn't even need her anomaly to get herself into trouble.

"You are 'til I get my cut."

"Your cut?"

"Half," Leon said, and his blue eyes suddenly seemed ice cold.

"Half of what?" Beth asked. "He didn't pay me anything. The only thing you did was introduce me, and I already paid you for that."

Leon laughed. "Three hundred credits? That barely covers the limousine."

"The limousine was your idea." She tried to pull his hand off the railing so she could pass. Leon grabbed her wrists and pushed them against the wall above her head. He held them with one hand and used his other hand to pat her down.

"You said you could give Haal two thousand tonight," he said. "Where is it?"

Beth kicked against Leon and tried to knee him in the groin. He blocked it and hit her hard across her face. She gasped from the shock, and for just a moment the pain in her cheek made her think of Khan. In another time she would have relished the idea of Khan hurting this man that dared to lay his hands on her, but now she could not even comfort herself with that.

"You owe me ten grand. I'm taking two now and you'll pay me the rest or I'll get it from you some other way." He continued to feel for the money, his hand sliding over her breasts, squeezing them gratuitously. "You've got a nice body, you shouldn't cover it up so much." He said it like she should be flattered.

Leon's hand ran over her stomach and hesitated, feeling around her waist where she wore the money belt. "What's this," he said, lifting her shirt. "Clever girl," he said when he saw the belt, pulling at it with his free hand. Beth struggled. It held everything she'd saved. If he took it she'd have to start over. She might not have enough to go to Earth before the babies were born, and once the babies were born it would be so much harder to work and save her credits.

"No!" She stomped the heel of her foot onto Leon's toes. He yelped and released her for a moment and Beth scrambled up a few stairs. He grabbed her by the waist of her pants and pulled her back. Beth teetered and stumbled and suddenly she was falling face-first down the flight of stairs. In that split-second all she could think about was protecting the babies inside her. It was not their fault their mother was stupid enough to step in front of danger at every opportunity.

Beth pulled her legs up, tucking them tight against her abdomen and holding herself in a ball. It meant she had almost no chance of stopping the momentum of her fall, but it also meant her stomach, and the babies, were as protected as possible.

When she landed on the steps it was on her left shoulder, and the left side of her head smacked hard against the wall. She rolled down the rest of the stairs, her tailbone, her knees, her elbows, and the back of her head bearing the brunt of the damage. When she landed at the bottom of the stairs and lay sprawled on her back she was barely conscious but she still saw Leon come to stand over her. If he kicked her she would not be able to defend herself. He could kill her, and maybe she was already bleeding to death. She could feel the warm trickle of blood running through her hair on the left side of her head.

Rather than kick her, Leon bent down and pulled up Beth's shirt. He took out a knife and went to cut the money belt from around her waist, nicking her skin when he did so. Feeling the knife against her stomach unlocked something in Beth. She screamed and reached down to grab the blade, not caring that it sliced into her fingers. Leon jumped back as she grabbed the knife and jabbed it at him, stabbing his wrist. Blood ran down his hand and he fell over the bottom step. With the last of her adrenalin Beth rolled onto her side, reaching out with the knife and jammed it into Leon's calf. It went in deep and he shouted in pain, scrambling away from her up the stairs.

Beth clung onto the knife and pushed herself backwards, into the shadows, into a corner. She had her name, and she still had her money, but she was also so incredibly alone. She had no idea how long she huddled there, drifting in and out of consciousness, but she was suddenly aware of the knife being pulled out of her fingers and strong hands gathering up her aching limbs and strong arms holding her close against a broad chest.

"Khan," she breathed, turning her face into him. He did not smell like she remembered, but he was warm and strong and Beth cried with relief as he carried her.

Then she felt a cool breeze on her face and Beth realized she was outside. Khan was taking her away from this horrible place. He was taking her somewhere safe, where he would kiss her and hold her and make everything alright. She opened her eyes to look at him, but something was wrong. He didn't look like himself. He was wearing a dark uniform like a casino security guard, and he was blond and had a pug nose and his eyes were brown and impassive when they glanced down at her. He bent over and put her on the ground – on the curb, like garbage – then turned and walked away without a backward glance.

"Khan," she said again, though she knew it wasn't him. Khan was dead, she sadly reminded herself, and he was never going to hold her again.

* * *

**I have to take a moment to say... wow, wow, WOW! When I logged on last night and saw that we have reached over 500 reviews for the Anomaly, it was a very, VERY happy and rewarding moment for me!**

**When this story first started I didn't know where it would take us or how long it would be, and I am still so amazed and grateful that almost three months later it's still going and people are still reading it and writing in their support for the story and the characters. I know it's not perfect, and I welcome any kind of feedback or encouragement people want to send my way, but I am thrilled that the response has been overwhelmingly positive and I really appreciate how thoughtful and insightful so many of the reviews are. You guys are the best, and I want to thank every single one of you! In alphabetical order:**

**13Nyx13, adorestories, AlaineThornton, Ambur, Amirra, Anne, Anonymous, Applejax XD, Ari, Atlantean-Child, AussieMaelstrom, AvalonTheLadyKiller, Benedict'sZombieGirl, BluesideRemy, Breathewithme, BriBri028, Charity, cherylnixon, CLTex, Cuckoo on a String, DanAlaya, Draegan88, Eli Smith, Elliesmeow, Emma, ericalove, Estein, Evon, exaigon, Fat Old Sun, forgottenchangeling, , Guest (all of you!), Hope Diamond, IKhandoZatman, ita-chan0, IzabellaSanguine, JediCasons, jenn, Jess, Jesus, Katidbsh, KijoKuroi, KnoKnayme, krane, LadyLor, Loretta Lolita, Lorna Roxen, maxwell02, Mel, Melocets, Mermaid19, Mist, Moonlight Drive, Morbid DramaQueen10, narutofangirl1213, NorahMars, Nubian Queen, Opera123, Padfootkicksbutt, Pocket Bug, priestessofeternity, quietreader, RayOfTheDawn, Razberri, Reader, Regin, reindeergames19, Rosellyia, ruerue123, Sabrina1121, selene344, sensistar, Shaida01, Sharnay, sherlockscoat, ShimmeringWater, ShiningxXxShadowxXxThief, silentxangel, SimplyJane, Sorceress of the Trees, SpaceHead3, 344, TheGirlWhoImagined, TheJewellersHand, Trigger, Veresna Ussep, WendyLeaf, WhitneyG, Wolfstar04, writestyle, ZabuzasGirl, zZKaratechopZz**

**If I missed someone, I am truly sorry and it's a reflection of my copying/pasting skills and not any lack of appreciation :) **

**That said... what a dark place in which Beth finds herself now. She has a new identity and her credit chips but is that enough to get her home? Are the little ones okay after her fall, and will Leon show up again to get the rest of "his cut"? Poor Haal and his confined life with only parasites and prostitutes for company - glad he and Beth were able to come to an arrangement - but hope it didn't make you too queasy! Thanks again for reading... does anyone else feel like Khan might be just around the next corner? :) More to come!**


	47. Chapter 47

**Edited this chapter on 9/25/2013**

* * *

**Chapter 47**

The girl was beautiful; human and blonde with a sweet face and large hazel eyes. She was very young – almost too young to be saying the things she was saying, offering the things she was offering – but Khan knew her innocence was supposed to be part of the thrill.

She put her hand, soft and warm, into his hand and he closed his eyes, trying to feel something. Anything.

It had been two months since anyone had really touched him, two months since… and everything about Beth flooded back to him in that moment. Khan shuddered at the urgency of the memories demanding to be recalled: comforting her in Ward Seventeen, trying to hurt her on the medevac shuttle and being completely outplayed, taking her for the first time in front of Spock, and then all the times in the cave on Centula… the quiet moments in between when they'd just lain together, a tangle of limbs and skin, holding each other and talking. He could see her just out of reach, almost taste her on his tongue, almost hear her voice and feel the electricity of her skin…

"Do you want to come with me to my room?" the girl asked Khan, mistaking his reaction for encouragement. She leaned close enough that he could smell her perfume and her soap and her last partner on her skin.

Her touch trailed down his long fingers, over his hip, tracing a line to the inside of his thigh. His stomach muscles tightened involuntarily as she brushed her hand against his groin, apparently not caring they were in the middle of a gambling hall, surrounded by people. "You can have anything you want," she breathed. "Absolutely anything, with compliments of the house. The bosses want you to feel welcome."

Khan watched her face. Her eyes were almost the right shade of pale hazel, but they weren't quite green enough, and her hair was too fair, her voice too high. Most of all she was just not the one he wanted. He reached down and removed her hand and pressed a plastic chip into her palm worth fifty thousand credits. "Tell your bosses I appreciate their hospitality, but I appreciate their money even more."

The girl looked down at the chip and back up at Khan. She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, but what she whispered in his ear was not another kittenish overture. "Quit while you're ahead, won't you? They're going to end this today."

Khan nodded that he understood, but smiled lightly, guessing they were being watched. He pushed another chip into her hand, this one worth twice as much as the last. "You don't want to be anywhere near me when they try."

When she was gone he sat at one of the gaming tables. Some regulars recognized him from earlier visits. A few sat down at his table, determined to win their money back, while others circled around to watch.

Even though it was early morning, a waitress placed a large glass of blue Romulan Ale in front of Khan. "Your usual, sir, on the house."

He could smell the tranquilizer they'd used to spike his drink before he even raised the glass to his lips. He smiled and drained the glass. It had enough sedative in it to put an ordinary man into a coma, but Khan wasn't even a little dizzy. "Another!" he called, slamming the glass down on the table. Maybe one of these days they would get it right and finally put him out of his misery.

He threw five million credits into the center of the table, drawing gasps from those standing behind him. The people sitting at the table quickly removed themselves and Khan enjoyed the look of panic on the dealer's face. If the bosses were going to end it today, let it be over with sooner rather than later.

"I can't match that, sir," the man said, looking nervously around for the floor manager.

"I thought this was a no-limit casino," Khan said coolly, accepting the second drink as it arrived.

"Yes, sir, but…"

"That's right," a man slurred behind Khan, sounding more than a little drunk. "You _never say no_, isn't that your line?"

Others chorused their agreement and Khan leaned back in his chair and threw down another five million, eliciting cheers of encouragement.

A large man in a dark suit appeared at his elbow. "Welcome back, sir," he said, and while the expression on his face was benign and pleasant, his voice was sharp enough to cut steel. "We'd like to invite you to our private, high-stakes gaming room." He indicated the gathering crowd. "For your own safety."

Khan glanced at the people behind him. "They don't make me nervous," he said, sipping his second drink. This one was so tainted it tasted more like medicine than ale. "Do you feel nervous?"

"I must insist," the man said, reaching over to gather Khan's credit chips and handing them to him. "If you could please follow me."

Khan took a moment to finish his drink, mostly to prevent anyone else from accidentally consuming the lethal cocktail. This time it was strong enough to give him a slight buzz. As he stood and followed the security goon through the crowd Khan started to feel excitement for the first time in almost two months. _Something_ was about to happen, and just when he was beginning to think nothing would ever happen to him again.

Many times in the empty days and endless nights since escaping Centula with his crew, Khan had wished he'd stayed behind on the planet when it was destroyed. In the heat of that moment, with torpedos exploding around them and most of the Augments still disoriented from cryostasis, all Khan had thought about was getting them to safety. The first thing he'd done was raise the freighter's shields right there in the hangar. The building was destroyed around them but the chaos and debris had hidden their ship long enough for Khan to install the cloaking device he'd salvaged from the medevac shuttle.

To make the small device cloak the large freighter he had used the amplifier orb Beth had given him from the research station. When it crackled to life and they were able to ascend from the fiery planet unseen by circling destroyers, it was like she had rescued him all over again.

Days later, after seeing Arma recover from her bullet wound and teaching the Augments how to operate the freighter, Khan knew it was time to leave his old family. Under Dyret's new command they were not the weapons of war they had once been, and without Beth, Khan was not capable of peace.

He asked Dyret to follow the Enterprise to the planet of Golana. Khan did not know what he'd expected. Maybe he'd hoped to see Spock again, the only person who understood a fraction of what he had shared with Beth.

It was at Golana that Khan had parted ways with his people. He had wanted to take the orb with him – it was one of the few things that made him feel closer to Beth – but Dyret was willing to fight Khan to keep it on the ship to maintain the protective cloak. Khan knew it was right to leave it behind, but when he thought of Beth presenting it to him in their cave, and how strong and defiant she'd been, losing it was still something he regretted.

But it was just the latest in Khan's long list of regrets. As he followed the suited man through a guarded door and down a dark, steep flight of stairs, he wondered if this too would be something he'd regret someday. There was another man, equally large with blond hair at the bottom of the stairs. These two men were hardly a threat to Khan, but his senses were definitely trying to tell him something; he could feel his heart racing out of control and adrenalin was leaking into his veins so fast it felt like his blood was boiling. He put a hand on the railing to steady himself – perhaps the drink had been stronger than he'd realized – but when his fingers made contact with the cool metal railing he felt the shadow of an unmistakable warmth lingering on its surface.

Beth.

He knew he was losing his mind, but she had been in this place. She had touched this railing, and very recently. Suppressing a hysterical laugh, Khan breathed deeply, his eyes straining in the dark. Blood. He smelled her blood. Suddenly it was everywhere, burning in his nostrils. He followed it down the stairs, pushing past the man in front of him and ignoring the blond as he drew a weapon. Khan knelt on the floor, laying his hand flat on the concrete. Beth had bled here. Someone had cleaned it up but he felt it as clearly as if he was pressing his hand against a wound on her body. Uncontrollable hope wrestled with reason and fear in Khan's mind. It was impossible, but Beth was alive, and she was close, and she was hurt.

"What happened here?" he asked, looking up at the two men. They glanced at each other and Khan used that moment to seize the blond guard's weapon. It was similar to the phaser guns that Starfleet used, but more sleek and compact. Khan held it to the man's throat and standing that close he could smell Beth all over him. This man had touched her, held her against his body. There was a stain of her blood on his dark suit. Had he been the one to make her bleed? Had he raped her and hurt her in the process? Unable to control himself, Khan pulled the trigger on the gun. A powerful jolt of electricity was delivered into the man's neck, making him shriek, and Khan held him up as his whole body shook. When it stopped, he was glad to see the man was unconscious but not dead. He didn't want to kill the man yet – he had too many questions and while no answer could be good enough to save this man's life, Khan needed to hear them all the same.

He felt a phaser blast on his back and he dropped the unconscious guard, turning to the second man. He shot the gun out of his hand, approaching too quickly for the man to defend himself. He punched him once, high in the abdomen, feeling at least two ribs fracture. Holding the man up by one shoulder, Khan pressed his hands against the broken ribs. The man turned white but did not scream.

"Talk quickly," Khan said, "Before I puncture your lung. The woman that was here. Who was she?"

"I don't know," the man said, already finding it hard to breathe after Khan's punch. "One of Leon's whores."

Khan's grip tightened on the man but he forced himself to ignore the word _whore._ If it was true, he would not judge her. A few minutes earlier he hadn't thought he would ever see Beth again – he did not care what she had done to survive, he just wanted her back, wanted her safe. He didn't dare hope that his unborn children were still safe inside her. "What happened?"

"No one saw. We think she fell but there are no cameras back here. Leon might have roughed her up a bit. Sometimes he goes a bit far with his girls."

"Where is she now?" Khan asked. She was so close he could almost feel her.

"Paul put her outside and I called Leon to collect her."

"When was this?"

"A few hours ago."

A few hours. Khan felt sick. If he'd left his hotel a few hours earlier, he might have seen her come into the casino. He imagined the reunion that would have been, but it was just a fantasy. "Show me," he said to the guard. When he did not move fast enough Khan pushed hard against his ribs. "Show me where he took her."

Half walking, half being carried by the back of the neck, the guard led Khan out to the street behind the casino. The instant they were outside, Khan saw the stain of blood on the curb. Dragging the guard, he went to touch it. It was still wet, but congealed and baking in the morning sun. She may have been put on the street a few hours earlier, but she'd stayed there, hurt and bleeding and probably unconscious for at least two hours after that. How many people had walked past her in that time, too inconvenienced or frightened to help?

Anger surged inside Khan – anger at himself for losing faith that she had survived, anger at the people who had dumped her on the curb and then called the very man who'd hurt her to pick her up, but most of all he felt a blinding, explosive rage at this Leon creature who had turned Beth into a whore… _his_ whore, as if she were his property to prostitute and punish.

Khan pulled the guard all the way down to the ground and pushed his face into the pool of Beth's blood. "First you're going to tell me where I can find Leon," he said. "And then you're going to explain why you didn't call an ambulance for this woman, and then you're going to tell me when you've had enough pain and it's time for you to die." He heard the man's nose break as he pressed it into the pavement, and smiled at the stifled scream. It was the first of many screams Khan would hear that day.

* * *

**Yay, Khan is back! And he's been so maddeningly close to Beth... as some of you had already deduced :) But yikes! he is a man on a mission and God help anyone who gets in his way. Thanks for reading, and all the great comments. **


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter replaced on 10/1/2013**

**Warning: very mature content, some disturbing sexual situations and graphic descriptions. Please skip to chapter 50 if you are uncomfortable reading about women being sexually abused.**

******This chapter is basically completely different from the original version - let's just say I got inspired :) I hope replacing this chapter does not interrupt anyone halfway through reading these scenes.**

* * *

**Chapter 48**

She dreamed of Khan again. They were together in the cave on Centula. She was standing beside him, watching him try to pry a crystal out of the rock wall. He did it finally with his bare hands and turned around to hand it to her. His fingernails were broken and his skin was torn and bloody, but he looked so satisfied that Beth just took the crystal and smiled.

"Thank you," she said, and Khan opened his mouth to speak, but she could already feel herself pulling away. She tried to fight it, tried to keep herself calm and shut out the world, but in the next moment he was gone and Beth was awake.

Even before she opened her eyes she knew she was somewhere she'd never been before. She was laying on a hard bed in a dingy apartment, but it was not her hard bed, and it was not her dingy apartment. Daylight streamed in through grimy windows. She sat up and her head throbbed with pain that echoed all the way down to her tailbone.

"How do you feel?"

Beth turned her head quickly toward the woman's voice and instantly regretted it. "Who's there?" she asked, squeezing her eyes shut in an effort to block out the pain.

"They sent us to get you ready," the woman said. "Then they want to see you."

Covering her eyes with her right hand, Beth peered through her fingers at the woman sitting in a chair across the room. She was dark-haired and younger - maybe in her mid-twenties - heavily made-up with deep red lips and smoky eyes. Her hair was draped over her shoulder in an ornate braid decorated with red ribbons. She was wearing a simple white robe tied in the front but her legs were clad in sheer red stockings and red high heels.

The woman held out a plastic bag to Beth. "Take your clothes off and put them in here."

There were two large, tattooed men standing behind the woman. Beth thought she recognized them from her building. Was she in her building, in the den of prostitution that she'd always suspected existed upstairs? The last thing she could remember was being out on the street behind the Citadel.

She slowly slid to the edge of the bed and put her bare feet on the cold concrete floor. "I want to go home," she said wearily.

The woman did not respond for a while. Beth looked at her, and then the two men. One of the men was smirking, but the woman looked sorry for Beth. "Take your clothes off and put them in the bag," she repeated. "Either you do it yourself or Mozzie will do it for you."

"Mozzie?" Beth asked, confused.

The woman pointed to the smirking man over her shoulder. "And trust me, you don't want that." She threw the bag onto the bed beside Beth.

Beth stared at it. "I'm not getting undressed," she said. "Where am I? Why am I here?"

The woman was obviously uncomfortable, but disguised it with a severe tone. "It's not my job to explain everything to you. Just take off your clothes or we'll both be in trouble."

"In trouble with who?"

The man called Mozzie stepped forward, leering at Beth. She saw him pull out a knife with his right hand, squeezing his left into a fist.

"Okay, I'll do it," she said quickly, holding up a hand. She picked up the bag to prove she meant it and stood shakily, turning around. Facing away from her audience she pulled her old black turtleneck over her head and put it in the bag. "Do you have another robe at least?" she asked.

"They'll dress you afterwards," the woman said.

"Afterwards? After what?"

"Keep going," one of the men warned and Beth undid her trousers, pushing them down and kicking them off her feet. It was warm in the room but she was suddenly shivering.

"You have to take everything off," the woman told her. Beth guessed her voice got more and more harsh the worse she felt, but Beth didn't care how upset the woman was.

"I will," Beth snapped, feeling humiliated as she unhooked her bra and worked the straps down her arms, reluctantly letting it fall to the floor. "Please tell me what's going on," she begged, telling herself over and over again that she was not going to cry. She held her breath as she took off her underpants, half expecting to see them soaked in blood after her earlier fall down the stairs. But they were clean - it was a miracle she hadn't miscarried the babies - they were either strong like their father or stubborn like their mother - either way they were in as much danger as Beth at that moment.

When she was completely naked she stayed facing away from the others while the woman picked up the rest of her clothes and put them in the plastic bag.

"Thank you," the woman said. "Now, follow me."

Beth covered herself as best she could with her hands and arms but said nothing as she followed the woman out of the apartment and into the corridor. It looked just like the corridor outside her studio apartment and there was a man leaning against one of the walls that Beth also recognized. He looked up at her with interest as she walked past, but he didn't seem at all surprised to see a terrified, naked woman in the hallway. She felt like she was back at Dr. Neel's medical outpost, being escorted from one torture chamber to the next by armed guards. At least back then they'd let her wear a robe.

"In here," the woman said, opening a door and leading Beth inside. It was the size of another studio apartment, but the whole flat had been tiled over and converted into a sonic shower block. "Clean yourself," the woman said. She held out a purple bottle of body oil. "Then cover yourself in this."

Beth looked pleadingly at the woman, who refused to meet her eyes. "I can't help you," the woman finally said, thrusting the bottle at Beth until she took it.

"I can," Mozzie laughed, grabbing the front of his pants. The other man laughed as well and Beth couldn't hold her tears back any more. She gasped loudly, turning away to hide her face. She went to the wall and pushed the button to turn on the shower. Soon she was surrounded by ionized steam and was grateful for the temporary concealment as she bawled against the cold tiled wall. What had happened? She had been so close to escaping, to returning to Earth.

After ten minutes or so the shower timed out and Beth grudgingly rubbed the oil into her skin.

"Rub it everywhere," the woman told her. "You'll be better off." She didn't have to explain what she meant and Beth's hand was shaking as she applied the oil between her legs.

"Oh, for God's sake," the woman said, her firmness wavering. She approached Beth, taking off her own robe. Underneath she had on a red, low-cut bustier that pushed up her small breasts and only half-concealed her nipples. She had nothing on the bottom and was completely hairless on her mound. Beth stared at it as the woman draped her robe over Beth's shoulders and pulled her arms through the sleeves. "You'd better toughen up, and quick," she told Beth quietly. It was not a threat; she was giving her advice.

The woman led the way back down the corridor, striding confidently despite her near-nakedness. Beth shuffled in her bare feet, not really comforted by the robe. If anything it made her more nervous because she knew she would probably have to take it off again soon.

They reached a door guarded by two more men. The men ignored Beth and ogled at the other woman's crotch. "You joining the party, Layla?" one of them asked as she knocked on the door. "Is anyone invited?"

"You couldn't afford me," she told the man witheringly. "I should charge you just for looking."

Layla pushed the door open and held it for Beth. Mozzie and their other escort didn't follow them into the room. As soon as they were inside Beth realized why. The room was already full of beefy guards. She recognized more of them, again confirming that she had somehow ended up back in her own apartment building. Some of the men were better dressed, in dark suits like the guards in the Citadel casino.

In the middle of the men was a young blonde woman, her shirt off, kneeling in front of a short, well-dressed man. He was older - maybe fifty - and didn't seem to belong there among the younger, thuggish gangsters, but he definitely seemed to feel at home with a blonde between his legs. Leon was sitting on a chair against the wall and Beth was too scared to be pleased that his hand and leg were still bandaged and bleeding where she'd stabbed him. He looked up at her and his smile was wicked as he stood and limped towards her.

"Ah, finally," he said, stopping in front of her. "Armie, this is the one I told you about."

He was talking to the older man, who suddenly lost interest in the young blonde and pushed her aside, stepping over her to approach Beth.

"So you're the one who stole from me."

Beth looked him in the eye as hard as she could, and as he made a big show of raising his hand to strike her she drew back her fist and punched him first in the jaw. It was not hard a hard punch at all but he stepped back, more in surprise than pain. A second later he lunged forward and hit her hard across the face. She cried out, clutching her temples as her already aching head exploded in agony. Armie looked satisfied with her reaction and rather than hit her again he pulled on the cord of her robe.

"Let's see what was worth twenty-thousand credits," he said, exposing her before she realized what was happening. He looked disappointed and let her snatch the robe shut again. "She's nothing special."

"That's what I thought," Leon agreed. "But she grows on you."

"And Haal confirmed the amount?"

"Yes, he was very taken with her. He even offered to pay us what she owed."

"Did he?" Armie mused. "That's not like him at all." He turned to Beth. "Show me again," he ordered.

"Fuck you," she spat and one of the guards came up behind her, roughly yanking the robe off her shoulders. Armie smiled, pleased by her resistance. The same guard held Beth's arms as the man turned her face into the light and felt her breasts, weighing them and squeezing them like he was evaluating a prize animal. She didn't struggle - it was useless and he would enjoy it too much. Then his hand went between her legs and he fingered her roughly. Beth heard a growl emanate from the back of her own throat as she bared her teeth at him. He again seemed surprised - this was a man who used to submissive women.

"You feel very nice," he told her intimately, like it was foreplay, like she should be thrilled by his assessment. "But I wouldn't pay twenty thousand for you."

"Well technically Haal didn't _pay_ twenty thousand," Leon admitted as the man removed his fingers and smelled them and then wiped them on someone else's shirt.

"What do you mean?"

"He paid her with services worth twenty grand. He created a new identity for her."

"I see," Armie said, and then raised his eyebrows. He smiled slowly. "So this woman has a brand new identity?"

"That's right."

Beth didn't like the way he was smiling at her. "So she's untraceable?" he asked.

Leon shrugged. "I guess so. She's on the run from Starfleet so no one knows she's here."

"Yes they do," Beth lied. Spock and Kirk would not have guessed that she'd stayed on Golana.

"Well then I think I know a way to get our money back," the man said excitedly, smelling his fingers again. He stared at them, rubbing them together.

"Yes?" Leon prompted him, waking him from his reverie.

The man looked at him, then smiled as he remembered his train of thought. "Contact the usual buyers, Leon. We're going to have an auction."

"What auction...?" Beth started to ask but Layla gasped by her side, and that small and frightened sound shook Beth more than any other answer she could have gotten.

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**Hope this is not too dark! Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter replaced on 10/1/2013**

******I hope replacing this chapter does not interrupt anyone halfway through reading these scenes.**

**Warning: very mature content, some disturbing sexual situations and graphic descriptions. Please skip to chapter 50 if you are uncomfortable reading about women being sexually abused.**

* * *

**Chapter 49**

The building looked like any other run-down slum on the edge of Asek, except for the numerous limousines hovering around its front door. Khan approached the building on foot, his head down, a large bag slung over his right shoulder. It held everything he owned. He'd had to bring it with him because by the time he was done with Leon and whoever else got in his way, Khan would be on the run from every authority and every organized criminal on Golana.

He almost doubled back when he saw all the people inside the foyer. There was a line of men - males of all species - being processed at some sort of makeshift security checkpoint beside the elevators. Large thugs with tattoos up their necks were rifling through bags and scanning everyone with handheld ID readers. To Khan's surprise almost everyone surrendered multiple weapons and no one seemed to question why they were all so heavily armed. He joined the end of the line, knowing he probably had more weapons to surrender than anyone there, but also less need of them.

By listening to the others talking in line, he was able to glean that they were all there for some sort of black market auction, and knowing the sort of person he had come to find, torture and kill, Khan had a good idea what sort of merchandise would be going under the hammer.

"Hand," the first thug grunted when Khan reached the front of the line.

Khan complied, putting his hand on the scanner. He knew it would find no trace of him ever existing, and he didn't bother acting surprised when the scanner beeped and came up blank.

"That's a good trick," the thug said, looking at Khan curiously.

"I'm good at lots of tricks," Khan said, producing a chip worth fifty thousand credits from his pocket.

The man raised an eyebrow at Khan, scar tissue stretching across his left temple. "I've seen better."

Unfazed, Khan produced another chip worth twice as much. The man took both of them and put them in his pocket and laughed in Khan's face. "Thanks for the magic show, but I'm still not letting you in." He looked past Khan at the next man in line. "Hand."

Khan narrowed his eyes, the only sign of his mounting frustration. He started to slowly unzip the bag he was carrying. He'd hoped to at least have Leon's head in his hands before the real violence started.

Suddenly the elevator doors opened and two men in dark suits approached Khan. "He's with us," one of the men said to the thug with the scanner, and reached for Khan's bag.

Khan let him take it, looking at the man's face. He'd never seen him before. He looked like casino security and Khan knew that after his actions at the Citadel that morning a casino security guard had no reason to help him, but if he was going to get Khan past the security check point and one step closer to Beth, he would save any questions for later.

His bag was searched and all of his phasers and charges and knives were tagged and dumped in a bin along with the others. "Big spender," commented the thug searching his bag. Apart from his weapons and a sleek new PADD the rest of the bag was completely full of credit chips, worth more than forty million. When the search was over Khan laid his PADD on top of the chips and zipped the bag shut.

He kept expecting the two casino guards to lead him into a room and try to stun him or rough him up, but they took him straight up in the stinking elevator and escorted him to a doorway where buyers were milling around, drinking and laughing like old friends.

There were women in the hallway as well, in various stages of undress, in various stages of being mauled by the men, and pretending to enjoy it with various degrees of success.

"I'm looking for Leon," Khan said to a few of the men whose mouths weren't otherwise occupied.

"He'll be inside soon," one man told him, pointing to the open door. Khan walked around the man and into the apartment.

It was larger than Khan expected, and beautifully appointed with cream walls and marble floors. Blackout curtains hung over the windows and the room was lit with an almost apricot-colored tinge by a series of overhead lamps. Cheap stacking chairs had been lined up in rows in the middle of the room and they all faced a simple wooden table at the front.

Khan sat down in one of the chairs at the back and stared at the table. It had scratches and dents worn into the top of its legs and he knew those marks were from many sets of restraints being fastened to the table over a number of months or years. He tried not to imagine what went on at these gatherings once the restraints were secured. He focused on finding Beth. She felt closer than ever, and the sooner he got his hands on Leon the sooner he would know where she was.

After a few minutes the other men started filing into the room, and Khan could easily tell which were the buyers - most of them were older and they all seemed very at ease with the situation, whereas their bodyguards shared a nervous, aggressive energy that seemed to multiply as more and more people filled the room.

Khan also felt himself becoming anxious. There were too many of them - fourteen buyers and more than thirty minders. Even if none of them were armed it would take a long time to overcome them all.

The lights in the room flashed off and on and everyone fell silent. A door at the front opened and a man entered. The buyers applauded and the man smiled gregariously, waving with both hands. His lips were pulled tightly over his teeth and Khan saw other signs of expensive cosmetic surgery that made him look ageless rather than young, and also slightly inhuman.

"Thank you, gentlemen," he said silkily. "I see a few new faces in the room, so I will introduce myself, although I'm told I need no introduction." He waited, perhaps for laughter, which did not come. "My name is Armie Coghlan. Yes, _that_ Armie Coghlan. Thank you for joining us at such late notice. As you know it is becoming more and more difficult for us to hold these auctions since the introduction of the Federation's personal identity program. Not only are there fewer girls on the market, it has become more difficult to hide these auctions from the authorities..."

"You mean your brothers!" a rotund man shouted, and others laughed. The master of ceremonies lost his smile for a split second, looking at the man who'd shouted with unexpected violence. He was clearly not a man to be mocked.

"... So it has become more and more important for us to hold these auctions with urgency and stealth, and unfortunately in less opulent surroundings than you might be used to. But I hope the girls have been keeping you entertained."

There was another round of applause.

"And please put your hands together for Leon, who many of you know, for finding us the lovely creature we're able to offer you today."

Khan stood at the mention of Leon's name, and with overwhelming dread he watched as the door opened again and a disgusting specimen of a man led Beth into the room.

It was all he could do not to shout to her over the appreciative applause. Guards at the front were already looking at him with too much interest, their hands hovering at their hips. Khan forced himself to sit down, chiding himself for being so obvious. At least now he knew who was armed.

Beth looked absolutely terrified standing up at the front of the room. They had dressed her perfectly for a room of perverts; she wore a tight, white shirt dress that stretched across her curves, straining at the buttons. It was incredibly sexy, but also innocent and real, like Beth herself. Her hair was more golden than Khan remembered and fell in a loose braid over her shoulder. She had on a pair of summery high-heeled sandals and was not wearing any makeup except for faded, smeared pink lipstick that looked like it had been rubbed off during some earlier form of abuse. The thought that someone had already touched her drove Khan crazy. He wanted to kill every man in the room just for looking at her, and he wanted to take Leon to another location - somewhere remote and quiet where he could take his time...

Leon led Beth to stand in front of the table and she bumped into its corner, yelping in surprise and pain. Khan saw that her eyes were looking around wildly, not focusing on anything. At first he thought they had drugged her, which would have been almost merciful in the circumstances, but she was trembling too much, she was too acutely aware of what was happening to her. No, they had done something to temporarily blind her, either to make her defenseless so she couldn't fight or escape, or to protect the anonymity of the men in the room.

"Now, this beautiful lady's name is Beth," Armie Coghlan said, touching her arm and making her jump. Khan clenched the side of his chair, feeling the wood splinter in his hands. "Beth is a human, actually born on Earth."

There was an impressed murmur around the room. Khan gathered it was rare to get an actual free-range human at one of these auctions. It would likely raise her value, but Khan had money. He had more credits right there in his bag than probably all of these men put together. Maybe he could just buy Beth and walk out with her. If it could be that simple he would even let Leon live... for a while longer.

"Sadly, Beth is not a virgin," Armie continued. "I know some of you prefer that, but I can assure you her cunt feels very nice. I will vouch for that personally."

Beth cringed, shying away from Armie and Khan saw little red bubbles pop in front of his eyes. This was another dead man. Khan tried to soothe his fury with fantasies of forcing Leon and Armie to eat each other's body parts in front of their audience.

"But Beth is very special. As you know, we perform regular physicals on our girls and Beth is no different. I think this is a first for one of our auctions; Beth is two months pregnant, with twins."

Khan made an involuntary noise that was luckily drowned out by exclamations from the other buyers. Some were excited by the news and others were angry. Khan was in shock. He had not let himself believe his unborn children were still safe after everything their mother had been through. How was it possible that she had not just survived, she had managed to protect the babies as well? Khan had never been more admiring of another person, nor more in love with Beth, nor more frightened for her safety. He began looking at everyone in the room anew, assessing their threat and competence in a fight. Who could he use as a human shield? How far could he throw them, and with how much force? Every way he calculated it, there were just too many.

Armie was continuing. "Yes, yes, I know it's not ideal for those who want her for breeding, but at least it proves she's fertile. And in some ways you could look at it as three for the price of one."

Some of the men nodded their agreement and Khan made note of each one of them. His list of people to torture to death was getting long.

"And as most of you know, since Beth is not a virgin, we get to add the bonus auction to our proceedings today." Armie said this with a flourish, producing a set of restraints from his pocket. There was an excited cheer and Khan felt all the air rush out of his lungs. He looked at the door at the front, which was still open. Once he started fighting it would take them three seconds to clear Beth out of the room, maybe twelve seconds if she was tied to the table. He could not make it to her in that time, not through thirty trained fighters all trying to protect their bosses.

Armie was already fastening the restraints around Beth's wrists. She didn't struggle. Khan knew that she had learned the hard way that struggling just made things worse.

As he continued talking Armie undid every button on the front of Beth's dress. "Now for the rules. One lucky man will get to violate this lovely creature before she is sold today. You would normally have to wear protection, but since you've all been screened and so has Beth, and since she's already pregnant, we can forgo that this time. You can do whatever you like, but you only get one turn, so make it count. You _are_ allowed to hurt her, but do not mark her skin unless you're prepared to pay damages to her owner at the end of the auction."

"Yeah, Clay," someone said down the front, eliciting more laughter.

Beth stared forward with her unseeing eyes, as brave as anyone could be, but her whole body shook with fear as Armie opened the front of her dress and pulled it down her arms. There was a moment of silence as everyone appreciated her naked breasts and soft, pale body clad only in a disingenuously sweet pair of pink lace panties. Even Khan, almost apoplectic with fear and rage, had to swallow his arousal.

"Shall we start the bidding at one thousand?" Armie suggested and Khan had to force himself not to leap out of his chair.

"One," a man down the front said. It was the same heavyset man that had mocked Armie about his brothers.

"One-five," another man said.

"Two," said a third.

The bidding continued until it reached five thousand credits. The man with the winning bid was the first bidder at the front of the room.

Khan waited a second before raising his hand. "Six."

The men turned in their seats to look at Khan, but he was concentrating on Beth. She had gasped when he'd spoken. He knew she had recognized his voice. She tried to clamp a hand over her mouth, but her arm was pulled back to her side by Leon. She did not say Khan's name and he was so proud of her self-control. Even in as much shock and stress as she was experiencing, she knew enough to be careful. But she could not control her emotions as she broke down in tears.

Her crying seemed to bring about another spate of bidding, confirming Khan's belief that these men really were the scum of the universe. It settled again at nine thousand credits. "Ten," Khan said.

"Eleven," countered the man down the front.

"Twelve."

The two of them continued up to Khan's bid of twenty thousand credits.

"Geez, let him have it, Clay," someone else finally yelled out. "I'm starting to go soft."

"No one wants to see your fat ass up there anyway," another man added. "I might actually enjoy watching the new guy."

Clay looked like he might argue but threw up his hands.

"The highest bid is twenty thousand," Armie said, sounding surprised. "Do we have anything higher than twenty thousand?" He looked around the room and no one volunteered. "Sold, to the determined gentleman in the back row."

Everyone clapped and Khan picked up his bag and took out a chip worth twenty grand. It wouldn't be long now. Once he reached Beth he could get her out of the room. He would find a way out of the building. Armie was waving him forward, smiling broadly with his thin, tight lips. "Congratulations," he said as Khan handed him the chip. "And now a word of warning, since you're new. We had an incident last year where a man killed the girl. I believe it was an accident, but he did make an awful mess and it proved very costly, so now we have armed guards monitoring the proceedings. Their phasers are _not_ set to stun," he said pointedly.

Khan's heart sank as he saw half a dozen guards pull out phasers and point them in his direction. If they shot at him and hit Beth she would die on the spot.

Beth had stopped crying and he went to her, glaring at Leon until he backed away. Khan took her left hand and held it for a second, trying to communicate two months worth of heartache in that single touch. He started to take the restraint off her wrist.

Armie stepped forward. "No, you have to leave them on. You have to tie her up. Face up, face down, whichever you prefer. It's tradition."

"I forfeit my turn," Khan said.

"What?!" Armie spluttered. "But you paid."

"Yes, and I am going to buy this woman today." It was the only way. He would have to see the auction through to the end. "I don't want anyone else soiling my property but I'm not going to put on an exhibition for you. Either way, you have your money."

"I don't do it for the money!" Armie shouted, and he seemed to do a double take, like it was the first time he'd admitted the truth to anyone, including himself. He recovered quickly. "Tradition is very important in my family. If you won't fuck her then the next highest bidder will. Clay..."

"No," Khan said quickly. He realized he was still holding Beth's hand and she was trying to pull it free. He released it and she fumbled with the restraint on her left wrist, buckling it up again.

"No," Khan said again, this time to her.

"What do you know, I think she likes you," Armie said and Khan heard more than a trace of jealousy in his voice.

Khan stood close to Beth, whispering in her ear. "I won't do that to you."

"You have to." Beth whispered back.

Khan knew she was right, knew she was trying to make it easier on both of them, but she was still shaking. He looked around at the men watching, suddenly glad she could not see.

"I'm not tying her up," Khan said fiercely, putting an arm around Beth's shoulder and guiding her to the table. After leaving her bound in the cave on Centula and seeing how she'd hurt herself to get free, Khan had vowed he would never do that to her again.

He stood behind her, close enough that she could feel him, but not pushing up against her. Not yet. He wanted her to get used to his presence while she was so vulnerable. He dropped his head so it rested on her shoulder. "Just listen to the sound of my voice," he said softly, into her ear. It was not quite a whisper; he wanted her to hear the strength and tenderness of his deep baritone. "It's just the two of us, do you understand?"

She nodded and he wrapped his arms around her and held her. She gripped his wrists with her hands, her fingers digging into his skin. Her whole body shook as she tried not to cry. Khan felt her humiliation and her anguish and he just held her, rocking her slowly, trying not to notice how unbelievably soft and enticing she was even through his clothes.

"Good girl," he said finally. "Now take some deep breaths." He closed his eyes as her chest rose and fell, and listened to her breathing. For so long he thought he'd never hear that sound again. "Good girl," he repeated soothingly, untying her hair and loosening the braid with his fingers. He piled it over one side of her head, hiding her face from their audience.

"Now I'm going to lean you forward. Not too far, just put your hands on the table. Try to relax." He bent her over, keeping his torso in contact with her back the whole time. He positioned her hands flat on the table and left his hands over the top of hers. "There you go," he said gently, feeling the warmth of her, feeling himself get erect from the sheer presence of her against him. "You're doing so well," he said, kissing her ear and feeling her shiver.

"Now I'm going to take my pants down, Beth. I'm sorry but I'm already hard. _You_ make me hard, not this situation. Do you understand? I hate this, but I love you. Do you understand?" he asked desperately. He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her or himself. He didn't want to rape her and he didn't like these men watching them, but something dark and animalistic in Khan _did_ like that she was so helpless, _did_ like the way she was pinned beneath him.

But she nodded, trusting him, and he stood up for a moment to unfasten his pants and ease them down over his painfully erect penis. He leaned forward over her and she gasped when she felt his erection press between her buttocks. With her high heels she was exactly the right height for him to just push it inside her. Khan tried not to be pleased about that, tried not to anticipate how good she was going to feel around him.

"I won't take your pants down," he told her. He didn't want these men to see any more of her than they already had. He reached in front of her with his left hand and pulled her panties to the side. Even from that small amount of contact he could tell so much. They had removed the hair from her sex and Khan felt her juices spreading unhindered over the outer lips. It felt so different from his memories of touching her - he'd loved her pubic hair and had spent many happy moments stroking her soft brown fur. This baldness was aggressively erotic - there was nothing between him and her skin as his fingers grazed across her wet mound. He didn't let them linger but he still felt her push herself against his hand.

"Don't," he said, perhaps too sternly. He didn't want these men to think she might be aroused. She hung her head, humiliated, and Khan kissed the back of her neck. "I'm going to enter you now," he said. "Are you ready?"

She hesitated and then nodded her assent. Khan took his penis in his hand and ran it up between the back of her legs, pushing it against the slippery outer lips.

As he slid slowly into her he leaned forwards, his body covering hers, his left hand beside hers on the table, his right arm across her chest to conceal her breasts. His breath shuddered out of him - he could feel the tension deep within her and her trembling made her whole body vibrate against him and around his cock. The animal inside him responded to the sensation by thrusting himself the rest of the way inside her. She was so warm and tight around his shaft, she smelled strongly of fear but also arousal. The combination made him want to flatten her against the table and fuck her as hard as he could...

Khan gasped when he realized he was squeezing Beth's breast in his hand. No. He would not lose control now. He looked up, forcing himself to remember where he was.

Armie was standing in front of him, on the other side of the table. He'd come closer without Khan realizing. He was staring with glazed eyes, holding the fingers of his right hand under his nose. Khan snarled at him, making Beth whimper. Armie took the hint when he saw the possessive hatred in Khan's eyes, and took a few steps back.

Khan returned his attention to Beth, kissing her ear. "I love you," he said to her, hooking his left thumb around her little finger on the table. "No one else is ever going to touch you again."

He began to move inside her with long, deep thrusts to maximize his stimulation. Now that he was past the point of no return he wanted to climax as quickly as possible. Beth swayed against his slow thrusts, even started pushing herself back to meet them. She was so wet. Was it possible that there was also an animal inside of her that liked him possessing her so completely? The thought made Khan groan, and he was too far gone to regret the admission of his own depravity.

* * *

Beth was overcome by incredibly conflicted emotions and sensations, but mostly there was relief. He was alive. Somehow he was alive and he had found her and he was going to rescue her. He was hard and inside her, his strength wrapped around her and coursing through her.

She felt him climax as he held his breath and his whole body jerked. They stayed like that for a minute, maybe an hour, and for that time nothing else mattered.

Then he pulled himself out of her and she returned to the world of darkness and fear. With her temporary blindness she felt like there could be a thousand people looking at her and she could hear every one of them breathing hard. Khan turned her around to face him and pulled her against his chest, holding her tight, but even he couldn't block out reality.

"That was fucking beautiful," someone said, and there were murmurs of agreement.

"What's she like?" another man asked. "How does she feel?"

Beth felt the tears burning her eyes and she fought them unsuccessfully. Khan stroked the back of her head, shushing her gently.

"Look at that," a third man said. "I almost hate to break them up."

"Forget that, did you see how wet his dick got? She must be dripping."

"Fuck," someone groaned.

"Can we get on with it?" Khan barked, not letting her go. "Start the bidding."

There was a long silence as Beth clung to him, listening to his heart beating steadily in his chest.

"No."

Khan's muscles tensed under her hands. His heart started beating almost twice as fast. He said nothing, but everyone else in the room erupted in confusion and anger.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen," Armie was saying over them. "But I have the right to change my mind."

More shouts of disagreement and displeasure.

"What a waste of time!"

Beth realized that Khan was trying to move her, to position her to stand behind him. She complied, letting him step around her as she kept her hands on his back. As long as she was touching him everything would be alright.

"I'm sorry," Armie repeated. "Let me make it up to you. I'll have the girls see to your needs, on the house."

"I came all the way from Madriel!"

"And I'll arrange for quarters for all of you at the Citadel," Armie offered. "The usual VIP package."

That seemed to mollify some of them.

"Now, if you'll wait in the hall, I'll have the girls brought back around."

Beth heard scraping chairs and shuffling feet and disgruntled mutterings as they left the room. Khan was standing completely still but Beth could feel the explosive energy radiating from him.

"Leon, get the girl," Armie said and a moment later the muscles in Khan's back flexed and Beth heard the sickening sound of bones crunching followed by a stifled scream and something heavy falling to the floor. She tried to grab the back of Khan's shirt but he lunged away from her. She reached out her hands for him and felt a frisson of energy close to her face as a phaser was fired in her direction. She ducked to the ground and heard more phaser fire. That was okay, she told herself. Khan couldn't be hurt by phasers.

Suddenly she heard a loud thud on the floor beside her and everything went quiet. Beth reached out a hand towards the spot on the floor where she'd heard the noise. Her fingers brushed against a sleeve and she knew by the feel of the material that it was him. Something was wrong. She crawled over to him, her hands feeling for his face.

"Khan," she said desperately, slapping his cheek and feeling his head roll limply to the side. "No, Khan."

Her fingers ran down the side of his neck and searched in vain for his pulse.

"Khan!" she shouted, shaking his shoulders. She put her head on his chest and his heart was completely still. "No," she whispered, pulling up on his shirt and laying her head against his bare skin. "No, no, no," she repeated, holding him tight and willing him to move. He had to be faking, but why would he fake with her?

She raised herself up, cursing that she could not see him. She felt along the middle of his chest and lay her hands over his heart and pumped up and down. He couldn't be dead. Not like this. He had survived the destruction of a planet. He could not just die.

Hands grabbed at Beth's shoulders and she screamed in fury, leaning over Khan and holding onto him tight. She would not leave him alone with these animals. She would rather die than leave him again.

* * *

**I was nervous about this chapter. It is such a change, and kind of an extreme side of Khan we're seeing. Is it totally creepy, or kind of creepy/hot? In my defense, I started writing this chapter with a totally different thing in mind. Sometimes Khan just does whatever he wants ;)**

**Thanks for reading and BIG thanks to those already jumping in with reviews, follows and favs :)**


	50. Chapter 50

**This is the last replaced chapter. Edited on 10/1/2013.**

******I hope replacing this chapter does not interrupt anyone halfway through reading these scenes.**

**Thanks to these folks (in alphabetical order) for taking the time to give feedback on these replacement chapters before they were added to this story: BigStraightCrush, CLTex, Emma, Guest, Mrs. Cumberbatch, rem, ****TheJewellersHand, ****WhitneyG, XxLadyVerlacxX**

* * *

**Chapter 50**

Khan awoke in agony. There was a wrenching cramp where his stomach used to be, and a lead weight in his chest instead of a heart. He cried out, unable to control himself, unable to regulate the pain. He felt incomplete, and it was not just a physical incompleteness.

Beth.

He forced his eyes to open, forced himself to look around. He was laying on the marble floor in the auction room, beside the wooden table. He had failed her. She was gone. He tried to sit up and his stomach muscles spasmed. He barked with pain and rolled over on his side, hugging himself.

"Welcome back," a deep voice said, and Khan could not believe his ears. He looked up at the man standing in the doorway. He was tall and broad-shouldered with auburn hair and intense teal eyes. The fidelity of the man's voice was unmistakable. He was an Augment.

"You died," the man said, crouching down and turning Khan's face into the light with a strong hand. "But your body is coming back, one system at a time."

In all of his years of fighting Khan had never come close to dying. "How?" he asked, watching as the man examined him. He was in his forties, with scar tissue under his left eye. It was the kind of scar that technology could remove in the twenty-third century; this man had chosen to keep it and Khan fleetingly wondered at its significance. As he stared a second man came up behind the first. His hair and eyes were darker, he had no scar, and he was a few years younger, but otherwise the mirror image.

"I knew you were an Augment," the second man said. "I devised half the games at the Citadel myself. Only a superior mind could have beaten the house as often as you. That, and your lack of identity. You're the Augment we heard about last year, you were discovered and awoken by Starfleet."

Khan nodded once, clarifying nothing.

"We own the Citadel," the first man explained. "My name is Sam Coghlan, my brother is Kelly. We have been looking for you since this morning. You killed two of our guards. When our men here today recognized you we ordered them to keep you in the building by any means necessary. We are familiar with the increased resistance of augments to traditional energy weapons so we instructed them to carry modified phasers. Some of your small blood vessels have been fried and you've lost a lot of fluid." Sam pointed to the scar under his eye. "I died once myself and I know how much it hurts until your cells regenerate. I apologize for the drastic measures."

Khan sat up carefully, putting his head between his knees. The pain in his stomach was already starting to subside but lactic acid was leaking into every muscle in his body. It felt like fire ants were crawling through his veins. "The woman," he said hoarsely.

"The one for sale? She's the one who restarted your heart," Sam told him. "We're told she gave you chest compressions after you died."

Khan put his hand over his heart. Was that the last place she had touched him?

"Surprising considering you'd just paid for the privilege of raping her," Kelly said. "Or do you know her?"

Khan looked up slowly, feeling his brain slide sickeningly inside his skull from a lack of cerebrospinal fluid. These were not normal men, yet when he tried to see them as Augments, there was something not quite right about them, like a blurriness where there should have been sharp edges. They were looking at him with a disturbing intensity.

"No," he said. He needed to find out what had happened to Beth, but if these men really were some kind of Augments he didn't want them being more curious about her than they already were. "We were told she was from Earth," Khan began, and then paused, gasping and pretending that his lungs were failing. He could feel his strength returning but he wanted to appear weak for as long as possible. After a few moments he continued, his voice pained and quiet. "I told her if she pleased me I would send her home when I was done with her."

"That _is_ an offer she wouldn't get from anyone else here. It's lucky that she believed you," Sam said. "If she hadn't restarted your heart your brain would have been too damaged for a full recovery by the time we arrived. She probably saved your life."

Of course she did, Khan thought. Somehow Beth always managed to succeed when he failed. "Where is she?" he asked.

"One of the bidders made us a private offer," Kelly said. "After today's fiasco it seemed the cleanest solution."

"Who?" Khan asked, fighting to keep the panic out of his voice. He tried to remember all of the men in the room. "Was it Clay?" He was the one with the reputation for inflicting injuries on the girls.

A third voice came from the door. It was Armie, all resentment and indignation. "Yes, it was Clay. He's already taken her back to his ship."

Sam and Kelly cringed and bristled as Armie entered the room, followed by two casino guards. Khan couldn't tell if the guards were containing Armie or protecting him. Khan stood slowly, relying on hate to give him strength, as it had so many times before. He noticed his bag on the table. It was open, still full of his credit chips, his sleek new PADD laying on the top.

Armie saw Khan looking at it and he stared greedily at the money. "It will cost you, but if you still want the girl I might be able to broker a deal for you when Clay is done with her, but knowing Clay, she's probably not worth having by then." He laughed, and the sound pulled a trigger in Khan's mind.

He reached inside the bag to grab his PADD. It was barely a few millimeters thick, but it was heavy enough to carry the right momentum. Khan crouched as the two guards fired phasers over his head and then he leaned forward to hurl the PADD. It sliced through the air for a fraction of a second before its thin metal edge sliced through the skin of Armie's neck.

There was a moment of stillness as shock registered around the room. None were more shocked than Armie, whose eyes widened in disbelief as his hands clumsily felt the PADD embedded deep in his throat.

"I'll always want the things that belong to me," Khan told him, smiling viciously as Armie made empty choking sounds. The PADD had severed his trachea and obstructed it completely. Armie pulled it out, freeing his airway but also unstopping his carotid artery. Blood gushed from the wide wound in his neck as he fell to his knees and keeled forward, dead.

Khan remained crouched, leaning back on his right foot, waiting for his next target to volunteer. To his surprise, the guards didn't move except to lower their weapons.

"Alright, you two, clear out," Sam ordered. The guards exited, leaving Khan alone with Sam and Kelly, and Armie's corpse.

"He was our brother." Kelly said matter-of-factly, looking down with disdain as Armie's blood spread towards him across the floor.

Khan shook his head. "That's impossible. You're…"

Kelly smiled – an unexpected reaction if Khan really had just murdered his brother. "We're the last descendants of the Augments from your time."

Sam also smiled. "Of course, as you would know, the original Augments couldn't normally breed, not with humans, not with each other. Our line started with two Augments. One was a full-blooded Augment."

"Pure, if you like," Kelly said.

"And the other was… different, somehow, but still augmented, and they were able to conceive children."

Khan understood. They were describing Primary and Secondary Augments, like himself and Beth. He stared at the men. Was he looking into his children's future, and their children's children's future?

"And they continued the line by breeding with each other."

Khan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Siblings bred with each other?"

Kelly nodded, unashamed. "Like Egyptian Pharaohs, to keep the bloodlines pure."

"Some mated with normal humans," Sam added. "But it diluted the very traits that made us special, so it was forbidden. Unfortunately, as the weak genes were eliminated by inbreeding, even mating with humans became impossible. Now we are so pure that even a runt like Armie was sterile."

Khan was shocked by how casually Sam and Kelly regarded their dead brother. "There were no females born in your generation?" he guessed, feeling nauseated. He thought of Beth and how he could not let them guess what she was, nor that she was carrying his children.

"We had a sister," Kelly said, with a trace of bitterness in his voice. "She could not accept the way things were."

"She committed suicide," Sam explained. "It was very Shakespearean."

"I'm sorry," Khan said, trying to sound sympathetic, but he guessed the sister was better off dead than attached at the womb to these two men, being forced to bear their children.

"We've invested in genetic research and cloning," Sam continued. "But we're yet to see any tangible results."

"Which brings us to the reason you're still alive," Kelly said.

Sam laughed. "That's right, brother, the king is dead, long live the king!"

Khan frowned in confusion, and decided he didn't like the way Sam called him _brother_.

"You killed Armie," Kelly explained. "Everything he had is now yours. All of his property, all of his power."

"That _is_ the Augment way," Khan conceded.

"Yes," Kelly said proudly, "We still honor the old traditions, as much as we know of them, anyway."

It was true, down to the closed-minded puritanical attitude, and the old ways had never seemed more archaic to Khan. "Why hasn't anyone killed Armie before now?" he asked.

Both men laughed. "We never felt inclined to allow it before," Kelly said.

"We want to make you a partner," Sam added, smiling expectantly. "It would be an honor and a pleasure."

"We rule this city and half the planet," Kelly said proudly. "With your help we could control it all. I think it is a worthy prize for you."

"Indeed," Khan said, waiting for the old heat of ambition to rise in his chest. It did not come. "What if I were to decline?"

"Why would you?" Kelly asked sharply. More than Sam, he seemed to take pride in his Augment heritage. Having a "real" Augment as a partner was probably quite a coup in his mind.

Khan tried to think of a reason that did not involve Beth, something that would impress the brothers. "Starfleet is still holding my Augment crew. I am on a mission to retrieve them." He picked up his bag. "I was here to raise funds."

Kelly's eyes widened. "An Augment crew? How many are there?"

There were seventy after the death of Ram and Rod, but Khan said "Six. Before I met you both I thought they were the only other Augments left in the universe."

Kelly smiled, pleased to be included in the company of _pure_ Augments. "We must help you find them."

"Of course we must," Sam agreed enthusiastically. "Is there anything we can do?"

Khan could only think of Beth, and how much danger she was in, how much she needed him, how much he needed her. "Yes," he said immediately, "Give me your fastest ship."

* * *

Beth's eyesight was returning. She could see blurred edges of light as three men walked her from a shuttle onto a larger ship. It was very warm on the new ship and the air smelled of smoke or incense. Her hands were bound behind her back with a nylon strap and when she tripped on a raised platform she had no way to break her fall. She turned her face to save her nose from smashing into the floor, but managed to hit her head on the side where it was already injured and painful.

"Bring her to my quarters," an unconcerned voice commanded, walking on ahead. Two pairs of hands pulled her up roughly by her arms and shoulders, manhandling her down a corridor and into a room lit with a red glow. The soft light was less painful on Beth's eyes and she found she could see more clearly. She was in a bedroom, but it was a bedroom only in the sense that there was a bed in the room. Otherwise it seemed more like a grand reception hall, complete with a gilded dining table, red leather couches and an imposing wooden desk. She was taken to a long chaise lounge opposite the desk and pushed down into it by the two men. She struggled, her hands bound, not to tip over onto her side.

The two men stood back, looking down at her. A third man – heavyset and bald, part human but with a pronounced Coridian forehead – came to stand between them. He was Clay, the man who had bought her after Khan died.

Khan. Beth's breath caught as the memory of his still heart returned to her with cruel clarity. She shook her head to clear it. She had to focus on these men in front of her.

She stared up at them, angry at herself that after all of her precautions and all of her mother's warnings, and everything she'd done and been through she was actually going to suffer the very fate she had spent most of her adult life trying to avoid. Beth knew she was powerless to save herself, powerless to stop these men from hurting her, powerless to avoid her destiny any longer.

"Do you know why I wanted you so badly?" Clay asked. He sat down beside Beth, running a finger along the neckline of her white dress. "My mother was a human whore, just like you." She looked up at the two men standing over them so she wouldn't have to look at Clay's evil smile. Did they like to watch? Did Clay like to _be_ watched?

"Look at me," he said to get her attention. He was irritated and there was also jealousy in his eyes as they darted to the other men. He put his hand on her face, stroking her skin with fascination. "You feel so beautiful," he said, and he leaned in to kiss her.

Beth pulled back instinctively and looked fearfully at the other men, half expecting them to step in and hold her down.

"I said look at _me_!" Clay shouted, taking her chin and jerking it towards him. "_I _bought you, not them."

He kissed her roughly, but pulled out of it a moment later. "Why do you keep looking at them?"

This time she hadn't been looking at anyone - she'd had her eyes screwed shut against his kiss. Clay had only touched her a few times, in this room and earlier in the shuttle, but he already seemed to be heavily affected by her augmented pheromones. Beth wondered if he was particularly susceptible, or if her fear was making them especially potent. But why would fear make them stronger? Surely that was the opposite of what her body should do in order to protect itself?

But then Beth thought back to the words Ram had used to describe Secondary Augments on Centula. He had called people like her _weapons_, and talked about them controlling and lowering the guards of others. Was it possible that her anomaly could somehow be used as a defense mechanism in times of extreme danger? If she could find a way to use it, would it protect her by distracting and confusing Clay? Beth suddenly knew what she had to do.

Taking a deep breath she leaned forward, pressing her cheek against Clay's jowls as she whispered in his ear. "They want me for themselves. They're going to take me away from you. The next time you turn your back they're going to put a knife in it."

He snapped his head back from her, his eyes suddenly full of fear and suspicion. Beth managed to smile at him, managed to make her voice calm and soothing. "You're the only one I want."

He jumped up from the lounge like he'd been stung. He turned on the other men. "Get out!" he shouted, shoving them away from her. "I said get out!" He chased them out of the room and while he was gone Beth looked around for something she could use to save herself. On the desk there was a plate of pomegranates and a silver knife was sticking out of one of the fruit. She stood up, watching for Clay to return, and turned around, backing up against the desk, her fingers feeling for the handle of the knife behind her back. They wrapped around the cool metal just as Clay came back into the room. He looked confused, and didn't comment on her standing up when she should have been sitting down. He walked over to her.

"I'm sorry about them," he said, scratching his head. "They won't be bothering us for the rest of the night."

Beth used the knife to cut through her nylon bonds, and this time she didn't have to fake her smile.

* * *

Khan didn't bother hailing Clay's cruiser. Once he was within transporter range he put the Coghlans' ship on auto-pilot and beamed aboard the cruiser. He was armed with every weapon he had acquired during his time on Golana. He was eager for the most important fight of his life.

But once he was on the ship he knew something was wrong. Alarms went off, alerting to an unauthorized passenger, but no one came to investigate. Khan moved from room to room on the ship, looking for Beth, for Clay, for the crew, for anyone. It wasn't until he got close to the end of a long corridor that he smelled the blood, and the singed hair and skin. He also smelled Beth and he tried to manage his dread as he looked through the open door.

Whatever he had expected to find, it was not Clay's dead body laying on the floor, his throat cut and a pool of blood cooling around his shoulders. There were two more men on the floor, both of them stunned with a phaser. They were not dead, but they had been fired on so many times that their clothes and skin and the hair on their chests were burned. They would be unconscious for a very long time.

Then Khan saw a small silver knife laying on the ground beside Clay's body. He went to it and picked it up and automatically sensed Beth had held it in her hand. She had killed Clay and shot these two men. Khan looked around for her. "Beth?" he said aloud. Was she hiding? She was probably traumatized. What had these men done to her to make her capable of such violence?

"Beth!" he called out as he backtracked through the ship, looking in every cupboard, every dark place she could have hidden herself. She must be so afraid, she was probably in shock. He just hoped she hadn't done something to hurt herself. He ended up in the shuttle bay and saw that there was room for one shuttle but there were none docked. He went to the computer and checked the ship's manifest. There was a shuttle registered to the cruiser and Khan knew that Beth had taken it to escape. He laughed with relief, knowing that she was safe, knowing he should be able to catch up to her easily. He would be counting the minutes until he found her, until he could see her and hold her again.

* * *

**This is an important chapter for Beth! Turns out she saved Khan's life and she learned her anomaly might actually help her out sometimes. Hope you enjoyed this chapter - thanks for reading!**


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51**

The snow was thigh-deep and Khan pulled himself slowly up the hill towards the small stone house on the rocky outcrop above the trees. He'd had to park his all-terrain vehicle at the bottom of the steep hill. Apparently "all-terrain" had a different definition in Alaska. Smoke was curling from the chimney of the house, which was a promising sign – the last few houses he'd visited had been completely abandoned.

It had been a month since he'd let Beth slip through his fingers after she'd escaped from Clay. Khan had traced the warp signature of her shuttle to Earth, to Anchorage where he'd set out to find her on land. His surroundings had grown more and more desolate in pace with his mood. In Alaska's wilderness there were no surveillance systems to monitor, no computer systems to hack, and all of Khan's tracking skills were useless in an environment where roads and pathways were covered with a fresh layer of ice and snow almost every day.

A few times he'd thought he was on the right track. Some towns he'd visited had stories of a woman who had come for a week, staying on the outskirts, avoiding contact with the locals, especially men, before moving on. He'd shown the people who had seen this woman a picture of Beth. Many were reluctant to confirm her identity, insisting they'd only seen her from a distance, but one man had been sure that Beth was the woman who had scared him off with a shotgun when he'd dropped by to introduce himself.

After a few weeks the trail went cold. The woman seemed to disappear from anyone's radar and Khan made his way to Beth's childhood home – a brick farmhouse on the McKinley River. For a moment he'd let himself hope that she had simply returned home, but the house had been empty, and it looked like it had been untouched since Beth had lived there with her mother.

As he'd travelled from room to room, he saw Beth everywhere. Photographs were on the walls and mantles, showing her at all ages up to her late teens, and Khan kept each one that he found. Her bedroom was a treasure trove of personal keepsakes, including home-made toys, a half-written diary, a music collection and countless brochures about Starfleet Academy.

Khan had spent the night in her room, sleeping on her small bed and thinking about her childhood and how it had helped mold her into the woman he loved. He'd tried to imagine where she would go, where she would feel safe. It would be a place similar to this – a remote farmstead – but closer to medical facilities, at least until the babies were born. She would want to take every precaution with the birth, but she would also want to take every precaution with her own safety. She would want female doctors and as few men around as possible.

And those assumptions had informed Khan's ongoing search. There were many female obstetricians in Alaska's large cities, but considerably fewer in rural towns, and in those small towns even fewer worked in well-equipped, modern hospitals. Khan had searched for signs of Beth in all of their records and followed up on every patient at the end of their first trimester.

Which had led him to this bleak hillside ten miles north-east of McGrath. It was starting to get dark when he reached the house. He could see that there were two other buildings behind the stone dwelling, and someone had trekked a path in the snow between the main house to those buildings quite recently. Khan approached the house quietly, peering in the front windows. They were shuttered, but he was able to see that lights were on in the front room.

Bracing himself for another disappointment, he knocked on the front door. There was no reply and he moved around to the rear of the small house. He saw the back door was ajar with a sliver of light spilling out over the steps. Khan climbed them slowly and pressed his fingers against the door, pushing it open. He felt the warmth of the room wash over him as he stepped inside.

* * *

Beth froze as she heard a noise behind her. She slowly set down the firewood she'd gathered into her arms and picked up the shotgun that was leaning against the wall. Looking over her shoulder she saw a shadow move on the other side of the doorway and she covered her mouth to cover the sound of her own gasp.

She went quickly to the door and hid behind it, raising the shotgun as a dark figure entered the room. They were dressed heavily, in many bulky layers, and over everything they wore a hooded fur coat.

"I have a gun," Beth said, her voice shaking but strong as she stepped out from behind the door. "Turn around and face me. Put your hands where I can see them. I promise I will not hesitate to shoot you."

The person slowly raised their hands out to their sides and slowly turned around. "Don't shoot me, Beth. It would be such a shame after all this time."

Beth stared in disbelief as the muzzle of her gun slowly lowered to the floor. She had long ago given up hope of this day ever coming. She opened her mouth but was barely able to form the word.

"Mom?"

The woman lowered the hood of her coat but made no other movement towards her daughter. "Hello, Beth." She looked almost the same as Beth remembered. The same honey-colored hair, though it had been lightened by a sprinkling of gray, the same hazel eyes, though they had hardened somewhat over the years.

"Mom, what… how…" Beth didn't know what to say to her mother. She had wanted to know for so long if her mother was even alive. Now that she had living proof of that, what else was there? "Why now?" she finally asked.

"Someone has been following me," her mother said, looking out the door of the storage shed towards the main house. "He isn't… well I don't know him. I managed to lose him two weeks ago but he went to our old place and now he's picked up on your trail. I've been following him and he's here now, in your house."

"What do you mean? Who's picked up on my trail? Why?"

Beth's mother reached out a hand to Beth. "There's no time to explain, we have to leave now before he comes back here."

"Leave to go where? Who is he?"

"I told you, I don't know him. I haven't seen this one before."

"_This_ one?" Beth asked. "There have been others?"

Her mother hesitated. "There has been one man looking for me for over thirty years. Sometimes he sends other men in his place, but it's always him."

"Over thirty years? Who is he?"

Again her mother hesitated. "That's my business, Beth," she said cautiously. "Now come with me, I have a car hidden down in the trees."

"It _is_ my business, Mom," Beth said, and realized she was raising her voice. "You said the man is in my house. I want to know why he's here before I go and shoot him."

"Beth, you can't engage this man."

"Then tell me what he wants."

"Beth," her mother pleaded. "You have to trust me."

Beth shook her head. "I haven't seen you in over ten years. I don't even know you, let alone trust you. Tell me who sent this man."

Her mother kept looking anxiously back at the house. "Alright," she finally said. "He was sent by your father. I left him when I found out I was pregnant. Let's just say he didn't want to let me go."

"My father?" Beth asked. Her mother had never talked of her father, always avoided questions about him.

"There, I told you, now please, we have to get out of here."

"But you left him because of me? Why?"

"I didn't leave him just because I was pregnant, but knowing you were on the way – it gave me the strength I needed. Just like we have to go now."

"You can go if you like," Beth said, and she opened her coat, turning sideways to show the beginnings of her pregnant belly. "But I'm not you. I'm not going to start running."

"Oh Beth," her mother whispered, but it was not a happy whisper. She looked crestfallen. "What have you done?"

"Nothing I regret," Beth said, turning her back on her mother and starting towards the house.

"Beth, don't." She felt her mother grab at her coat. "Beth, don't go in alone. Let me go first." The woman smiled sadly. "I suppose I should have done this years ago."

Beth nodded and then followed her mother through the snow. Her back door was open and Beth strained her ears to hear if there was someone moving around inside. She watched her mother climb the stairs and peer inside the kitchen. After a moment the woman moved forward, waving Beth inside.

She felt like a stranger in her own home, looking at everything differently, wondering what had been touched. Suddenly her mother froze at the next doorway, which led into the small sitting room. She raised her hand to signal Beth to wait, and then stepped over the threshold.

The sound of the gun firing in her small house was painful to Beth's ears. She saw her mother prepare to fire a second time and then heard the intruder speak. Even with her ears ringing she could not mistake the voice.

"Mrs. Walker, let me explain."

"Mom!" Beth shouted, running at the woman as she fired a second time. The bullet went wide as she collapsed on top of her mother. She wrestled the gun from her mother's hands and then turned to the man who'd been shot.

"Khan!"

He was leaning against the wall, his hand raised to his shoulder. Beth saw blood seeping through his fingers, but the blood was just proof – proof that he was alive.

He smiled at her weakly, pushing himself off the wall. She ran to him. "Khan," she said, more quietly, wrapping her arms around him, leaning into him as he put an arm around her. The arm of the shoulder that had been shot stayed by his side.

"Beth," he said softly, breathing it into her hair.

"Beth, step away from him."

She felt Khan's body stiffen as she held him. It hurt her to let him go but she had to in order to face her mother. "Mom, he wasn't looking for you. He was looking for me."

Her mother pulled a small pistol from her coat pocket. "All the more reason to kill him."

"You're not going to kill him. I love him, and he loves me." She felt Khan put a hand on her shoulder, either to support her or support himself. It frightened her that he could be weak when she felt so suddenly invincible.

"That won't stop him hurting you," her mother said. "Because he will hurt you, and he'll hurt your daughters." Tears filled her mother's eyes as she raised the pistol. "I'm doing this for your own good. Now, step aside."

Beth shook her head, beginning to understand her mother's pain, but it did not stop her raising the shotgun to point it at her mother's chest. "I'm sorry, Mom, but he's mine, and I'm not going to let you hurt him."

* * *

**Wrapped up this chapter in a hurry to give folks some badly-needed closure :) More to come.**


	52. Chapter 52

**Warning: Adult content**

* * *

**Chapter 52**

Beth could feel the warmth of him on her back, even through her heavy coat. She could hear him breathing, slow and steady except for the occasional catch as he fought to control the pain of the bullet in his right shoulder. If the person who'd shot him had been anyone else they would already be dead, but it had been her mother, and Beth stared down the barrel of the shotgun at the woman and hoped she wouldn't have to pull the trigger.

Her mother looked from Beth to Khan. "He's been hunting you like an animal for weeks."

"Get out," Beth said. There were no words she wanted to hear.

"Beth, please listen to me."

"Not until you listen to me. I'm sorry for whatever happened to you, and maybe one day I'll understand, but I am not you, and this is not your life, and Khan is not like other men."

"All men are the same in the end," her mother said, her eyes losing focus for a moment as she took a step forward. "Even those who have the most reason to be different."

"Get out," Beth repeated, her hands shaking as she pulled the safety back on the shotgun. She was not going to lose Khan again.

"Beth, don't." His deep voice was so close to her ear, she instinctively turned her face towards him. He ran his left hand slowly over her shoulder and down her arm, all the way to her hand that gripped the gun's fore-end. Gently, he pried her fingers loose and took it from her.

Keeping the gun pointed at the ground he stepped around Beth, drawing her mother's aim to the side.

"Mrs. Walker," he said. "I know why you think I am going to hurt your daughter. She has an effect on men, just as you do. Trust me, I feel it when I touch her, I feel it in the air around her."

Khan reached out his left hand, offering the shotgun back to Beth's mother. She looked at it suspiciously, like he'd wired it with explosives. When she didn't take it, he replaced the safety and threw it onto the couch by the fire.

"Khan," Beth gasped. He was defenseless, and even he couldn't escape a bullet at point blank range. She glanced down at his right hand, still hanging limp by his side.

"But it is just a chemical reaction," he continued, his voice soothing and calm. "Beth can't control it, just as you can't control it."

"What do you know?" her mother asked, laughing dryly.

"I know that I can control my reaction to it," Khan told her. "Just as I can control my reaction to pain."

Using his left hand he pushed his coat back to expose the bullet wound in his right shoulder, just under his clavicle bone. Beth went to help him and removed the coat completely, taking extra care with his right side. A frightening amount of blood had spread down the gray thermal shirt he wore underneath. Khan pulled down on the shirt's high collar, ripping it and exposing the wound.

"For example," he continued. "This bullet has damaged my brachial plexus. Do you know what that is?"

Beth's mother shook her head.

"It is a bundle of nerve fibers running from my spine to my arm. Just having the bullet touch them is excruciatingly painful."

"What do you want, an apology?"

"On the contrary, Mrs. Walker, if I had a daughter and I thought a man was going to hurt her, he would already be dead. I am merely trying to explain that I am in extreme pain."

"You don't seem to be in that much pain."

"Which is precisely my point." As he talked, Khan raised his left hand to the large bullet wound and slowly pressed a finger inside. "I feel the pain, but I can control my reaction to it. I can think clearly, knowing that while it hurts even more - exponentially more - to remove the bullet than just leave it in place," He grimaced and curled his finger forwards, pushing his thumb in to meet it. "It is necessary to prevent further damage to the nerves and my subclavian artery. Do you know…"

"I know what an artery is," Beth's mother snapped, but she stared in fascination at Khan's performance.

"And even though it would hurt me far more than this," Khan said, producing the bullet between his thumb and forefinger, "I would remove myself from Beth if I ever thought I was endangering her."

He dropped the bullet on the floor at the same time Beth's mother lowered the pistol to her side. She stared at the bullet for a moment and then looked at Khan and Beth.

"Mom," Beth began, but her mother shook her head.

"I can't watch this," she said, putting the pistol back in her coat pocket. She turned and pulled up the hood of her coat and left the room. Beth watched her go, realizing that for the second time her mother was leaving without saying goodbye.

She turned back to Khan, looking up at his face, full of concern for her despite his pain and the torrent of emotions that must have been swelling inside him. "Go after her," he said.

Beth shook her head, reaching a hand up to his face. He took it with his left hand and raised it to his lips to kiss her palm. He leaned his cheek into it for a moment, closing his eyes, then released it. "I'm not going anywhere."

Pulling her coat tightly around her, Beth stepped out into the cold, looking for her mother in the moonlight. It was beginning to snow again – light, soft flakes landing on her bangs and eyelashes. She saw the dark figure moving quickly down the hill.

"Mom!" she shouted, running after her. "Mom, wait!"

Her mother stopped but didn't turn around.

Beth hesitated about twenty yards from her. "Where are you going to go?"

Her mother's voice was cold and distant. "I know a place. I'd rather not say where."

It hurt, but Beth had to accept it. Her mother had been in hiding most of her life and Beth was as much a stranger now as anyone else. "Will you come back tomorrow?"

Her mother turned her head to the side, listening.

"I'm sorry," Beth said and she wasn't sure what she was apologizing for: pointing the gun at her or leaving her to go to Starfleet Academy all those years ago, or if she was just sorry for her mother's sad life.

"So am I, Beth." And her mother turned away to continue walking down the hill toward the trees. Beth watched her go until she couldn't see her anymore in the gently-swirling snow.

* * *

Khan stood by the window, watching Beth walk back to the house. It had frightened him to let her out of his sight, even for a moment. After two months of thinking she was dead and then another month tracking her from the planet of Golana all the way to this small stone house in the middle of the Northern Wilderness, he was not going to let her slip through his fingers again.

But then the front door opened. He felt the draft and smelled the pine it carried into the front room, and then he heard the bolt on the door, followed by her footsteps on the wooden floor. Suddenly she was across the room, looking at him.

She smiled as she walked towards him, looking nervous and beautiful, her hair and shoulders dusted with fresh snow. Khan wanted to return her smile but his emotions were beyond happy, beyond anything he had felt before and his face did not know how to translate them.

"You left without me," he said abruptly, without meaning to. It sounded like an accusation but it was a declaration, a statement of his pain.

It made Beth hesitate and when she reached out a hand to touch his face it was more soothing than yearning. "Khan, I thought you were dead and I felt trapped. I was so afraid. I'm sorry."

He nodded, covering her hand with his. "You did the right thing," he said. "Your safety will always be the most important thing to me. I love you, Beth."

She smiled, seeming to relax. "I love you, too."

And then she was leaning into him, her arms around his waist, and it felt like part of his body had been reattached. Khan breathed out, in relief and disbelief, and wrapped his uninjured arm around her, pulling her closer, off her feet so her heart was pressed against his. He held her tight against him for a long time, his eyes squeezed shut, letting her fill the empty hole that had been expanding inside him for months... no, years.

When he finally put her back on the floor Khan stared at her face. He wanted to kiss her but he was nervous. He looked at her mouth, remembering how soft her lips were. After so long it felt more like a dream than a memory. But then she closed her eyes and tilted her head and he felt her breath on his face, her hand on his neck and it was suddenly the most natural thing in the world to lean down and press his lips against hers.

She sighed into his mouth as he kissed her and leaned even closer, her breasts pushing against his chest, her stomach pressing against him.

Khan pulled out of the kiss, feeling dizzy, ignoring Beth's moan of protest. He took a step back, looking down her body. "Take your coat off," he said, knowing it sounded like an order. "Please."

She nodded and opened her coat, sliding it off her shoulders. She wore brown corduroy leggings and a cream knitted sweater that stretched tight across her belly. Khan put both hands on the bump, ignoring the spike of pain in his right shoulder. It was real. _They_ were real. His children were inside her, growing and developing and one day they would be born and he would be able to look at them and hold them.

"Khan, you're bleeding," Beth said, her voice worried.

He looked at his wound and saw fresh blood trickling down his chest. "It's okay," he assured her. "I just need to keep my arm still for a while."

She backed him into a deep armchair by the fire. "Then sit down. I'll get my medical kit." As she left the room Khan carefully pulled his shirt over his head. He balled it up, pressing it against the wound.

"I can tape it," Beth said when she returned. "Or I can sew it up with needle and thread. Arma told me how to do that." She looked down into her kit. "Did Arma...?"

"She survived," Khan told her, using his left arm to scoop her into his lap. "Apart from Ram and one other, they all survived."

"Good." Beth smiled, leaning into him, pulling out a roll of medical tape. "I should disinfect it first."

"Augments don't get infections," Khan said, rubbing his hand up and down Beth's back as she put mesh tape over his wound and smoothed it down. He breathed her in deeply as she reached across him. He could feel every part of his body relax... well, every part except one.

Beth laughed as she noticed his growing arousal. "I see, first you take your shirt off, then I'm sitting in your lap. Is this going somewhere?" She looked up and kissed him slowly, parting her lips. Khan ran his tongue over her teeth, searching for hers, wishing he could use both hands to pick her up, lay her on the floor and trail his tongue all over her body. With his left arm supporting her back he couldn't even run a hand down her chest and or pull off her sweater.

"Beth, I want to see you," he said in between her gentle, luxurious kisses.

She pulled back, her smile soft, her eyes blinking slowly. "Hmm?"

"I want to see you naked."

"But your arm."

"It wants to see you naked as well."

She smiled, biting her bottom lip.

"Please, Beth," Khan said, rubbing his left hand up and down her back, leaning forward to nuzzle her neck. "Please," he whispered.

She stood and slowly turned to face him, looking as shy as she'd been their first time together. She started with her boots, loosening the laces and then sliding them off. Khan watched her movements, clumsy and self-conscious on the surface, but there was an elegant rhythm and sensuality to everything she did. The arch of her back as she peeled off her sweater was one of the most erotic things Khan had ever seen. The way she rolled her leggings down over her hips, the way she leaned to the side as she stepped out of them, her hair falling in front of one eye and spilling over her shoulder… these were precise movements of seduction wrapped up in her complete oblivion to how sexy she was.

When she was just in her underwear she seemed to hesitate.

"Keep going," Khan said, his throat dry. He licked his lips as she unclasped her bra in the front and then peeled it off her breasts and let it fall to the floor. She stood with her hands at her sides, her cheeks flushing, her nipples tightening as he stared at her full, round breasts. They had grown since the last time he'd seen them. In fact her whole body had filled out and softened with pleasant curves at the shoulders and hips where there used to be sharp bones and angles.

"Keep going," he repeated, his breath coming faster as she hooked her thumbs over the waist of her pale blue panties. She pulled them down, bending over to untangle them from her feet. As she stood up, revealing her full nakedness, Khan groaned, shifting in his seat.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes flickering to his shoulder.

"Come here," he ordered.

Beth complied, her hips undulating as she walked.

"Slower," he said. He could watch her forever, loved the nervous anticipation emanating from her, so vulnerable and exposed in front of him.

He spread his knees so she could stand between them. He could smell her arousal as he reached out his left hand, running it lightly down her right breast. She shivered at his touch and his fingers trailed over her stomach. He found it incredible erotic that it was so swollen with his seed, and he spent a long time running his hand across it as Beth swayed hypnotically, her eyes closed, a dreamy expression on her face.

Then without warning Khan dropped his hand and brought it up between her thighs. Beth gasped and her eyes opened wide as his fingers pressed against the soft hair of her sex, pushing between the swollen lips and sinking into her spreading wetness.

"Oh, Khan," she said weakly, her knees trembling as he stroked her softly. Her back arched, her hands ran up over her breasts. "I want you inside me."

* * *

Beth dropped to her knees and didn't wait for his help unfastening his pants. She pulled them off him, yanking them roughly over his boots in her desperation.

When he was naked she clambered over him, breathing hard, straddling his thighs as she leaned in to kiss him deeply, and reached down for his cock. She moaned as her fingers wrapped around it, guiding it to her entrance. He was so hard, so hot. She didn't give him time to brace himself. She sunk down on him, taking his manhood deep within her and then wriggled on his lap to get him deeper still. "Oh, God, I missed you," she breathed, feeling him rise up to meet her, twitching inside her. He felt so big, so familiar.

Khan gasped at the sensation of her wet warmth wrapped so tightly around him. "Hold still," he said, already overwhelmed by her closeness and urgency. She stayed where she was but kissed his neck desperately, biting it, her fingers pulling on his hair, turning his face towards her.

She kissed from his neck to his mouth and couldn't hold back any longer. She had been needing him as badly as he'd been needing her. Beth put her hands on his shoulders and pushed herself up, sliding herself halfway up his shaft and then sinking back down. Her strokes were short, but fast and deep. His cock burned inside her. Khan leaned back in the chair, a look of undiluted pleasure on his face as her moans washed over him. He looked down to watch his cock move in and out of her. He put his fingers between her legs, holding them against her swollen clitoris, giving her something to rub against. Beth did so, gasping with mounting excitement. He always knew exactly how to touch her.

"Oh, God," she cried, going even faster, angling her pelvis to increase her stimulation, and his. "Oh, Khan, oh, God!"

Her exclamations turned into nonsensical noises as she charged towards orgasm. The muscles tensed in her thighs and all through her body, her breathing was out of control. She grabbed him roughly by his shoulders, just missing his bullet wound, her fingernails digging into his skin as she came hard, her whole body trembling and contracting as she cried out. Her pussy seemed to milk Khan's cock, fluttering around it, desperate for him to cum.

"Please," she begged, and Khan knew what she meant. He grabbed her hips with both hands, grimacing as the pain in his shoulder mixed with his pleasure and he moved her up and down, thrusting into her, groaning and rasping as everything fell away except the feel of her around him, the sound of their ragged breaths. Khan held her down hard against his hips as he came deep inside her. "Oh, Beth," he whispered against her ear, and it was all he needed to say.

They stayed like that afterwards, locked together, Beth straddling him, his member still buried inside her. When she wanted to get up to put another log on the fire Khan didn't let her move. "I'll keep you warm," he said, taking the quilt from the back of the armchair and draping it across her back, tucking it around them like a cocoon. He didn't want to let her go, he wanted to stay inside her as long as possible, and at some point she fell asleep, leaning against his chest, his chin resting on top of her head. Khan closed his eyes, listening to her rhythmic breathing, feeling her love and the life inside her, and knew that he was home, finally at peace.

* * *

**Ah, happy endings :) Hope this was satisfying as Khan finds peace, Beth takes the first step towards reconciliation with her Mom, and manages to rough Khan up a bit during reunion sex ;)**

**There will be an epilogue (probably including a bit more hottness) before I mark this story as complete. I have lots of inspiration for future adventures (some have been suggested already) but they will be in separate stories if they come to be.**

**Thanks again to everyone for reading, and to all who took the time to review. Feel free to ask questions if you need resolution on anything - either in reviews or PM me.**

**xo**


	53. Chapter 53

**Epilogue – Part 1 of 2**

It was warm in the small kitchen. Beth stood at the counter, mashing red currants, blueberries and crowberries together in a bowl. A cool breeze came in through the open window and she looked up for a moment to gaze outside at her family.

Khan had spread a blanket on the grass in the shade and was laying on his back, his eyes closed, holding little Allister against his chest. Father and son appeared to be fast asleep, and Beth marveled that even at ten weeks old Allister was the spitting image of Khan with his thatch of dark hair and serious little face.

Beside her two men sat Beth's baby girl, Taren. She was fair with strawberry-blonde hair, and just as restless as her mother. At birth Taren had been two pounds heavier than Allister and now she was almost twice his size. Her body had grown in length, strength and dexterity so much that she seemed more like a six-month-old. She was watching her father carefully, and finally, upon deciding he was really asleep this time, she turned and started pulling herself along in a half-crawl. It was her latest attempt to escape the blanket, which she hated because it blocked her access to all the interesting bugs and beetles that lived in the grass beneath.

Just as she reached the edge Khan's hand shot out and grabbed hold of her ankles. He gently pulled her back to the middle of the blanket while Allister's eyes flew open and he giggled appreciatively at their successful trick. Beth laughed, drawing Khan's eyes to the kitchen window. He smiled and raised a hand to her. Taren reached for his hand, grabbing hold of his fingers and pulling them into her mouth, but Allister shifted his head a little to see what his father was waving at. He was so smart, Beth thought, as he laid eyes on her and his happy face screwed up into a picture of misery and he started to wail.

Shaking her head and trying not to laugh at his attempted manipulation, Beth picked up the bowl with mashed berries and went outside to join her family.

"Oh, Allister, you sound like you've never eaten before in your life!" she exclaimed when she got closer.

She set the bowl on the blanket and then sat down beside Khan, reaching for her baby boy. He quieted immediately, looking smug as she slipped the strap of her tank top down her arm and unclasped her bra so she could feed him. She turned to Khan, grinning over their son, and saw him look away quickly from her exposed breast, like he'd been caught doing something wrong.

She sighed. "It's okay to look," she said, as Allister latched onto her nipple and wriggled into his favorite position. He may not be as powerful as his sister, but he was much stronger than the usual ten-week-old. When he was settled Beth smiled at Khan. "It's a beautiful thing."

"I know it is," he said, sitting up and glancing over again.

Beth watched him, knowing his caution was her doing. The last month of pregnancy had been exhausting and difficult, and she and Khan had not made love during that time, nor since. After the long and traumatic delivery she'd felt like a stranger in her own body. It had healed very quickly, mainly due to supplements Khan had created using a synthesis of his own regenerative blood. Perhaps it had healed too quickly, Beth thought. Her body had recovered, but it was taking a long time for her to catch up and feel normal again. Slowly she was finding her way back to intimacy with Khan and he never complained or pressed her for more than she offered. He seemed to understand she just needed time, but sometimes she could _feel_ the way he looked at her.

"Do you want to feed Taren?" she asked gently, pointing to the berries. "She might like these."

The little girl looked up when she heard her name and her eyes followed the plastic bowl curiously as Khan picked it up and peered inside. He stirred the berries with the plastic spoon and tasted them. "It's good," he told his daughter, and then held the spoon out to her. She pulled herself towards him and as she got closer he raised the spoon higher. She stretched her arm and neck muscles to reach it and Beth watched in amazement as she scrunched her little legs under her body and tried to stand.

Rolling to the side, Taren huffed in frustration, and Khan laughed, picking her up and placing her on the ground between his outstretched legs.

"She's going to be walking in a month," he said proudly, letting her have the spoon. "And Allister will be talking."

Allister pulled himself off Beth's breast and turned his head, looking like he might say something right then, but he just smiled and burped, signaling that he was done.

Beth cradled him against her chest for a while, rubbing his back until he fell asleep. She laid him carefully on the blanket and re-covered herself.

"I'm going back to the stream," she told Khan, leaning over to kiss him quickly, tasting the sweetness of the berries on his lips. She smiled and kissed him a second time, letting her lips linger for a while. "The red currants are perfect right now." She bent over to kiss the top of Taren's head, and then Allister's chubby arm as he slept.

"Change before you go," Khan said, looking at her attire as she stood. "It's cold down the hill."

As warm as it had been in the house Beth was just dressed in white shorts, sandals and a yellow tank top. She still felt hot just standing in the sun. "I'll only be fifteen minutes," she said, twisting her hair on top of her head. "It will be good to cool off."

"Take your phaser," Khan reminded her, his eyes lingering on her bare legs before looking back at the ground.

The stream was at the bottom of the hill, running from the mountains behind the house and into the forest. At the edge of the trees there were several low bushes full of bright red currants. For every two or three that Beth put in her canvas bag she put another in her mouth.

In three weeks she and Khan would take Allister and Taren to their new home on the Innoko River, and Beth wondered if there would be wild berries, and if the weather would still be mild when they arrived. She knew they couldn't stay in her rustic one bedroom cottage forever, but she was still sad to leave the home where she had found such happiness with Khan and her new family.

* * *

Khan played with Taren as Allister slept. He held her out in front of him at arm's length, gently gripping her hands as she swung back and forth through the air. It pleased him the way she powerfully kicked her own legs to build momentum, swinging higher and faster, no fear in her blue-gray eyes. She would be able to defend herself when she was older.

Khan loved his children with a fierce intensity; Allister with his cleverness and cunning, Taren with her strength and grace. He would have loved them no less if they were as weak and slow as normal humans, but with a mother like Beth, they could never be normal.

The past nine months had been the happiest of Khan's life; being with Beth, witnessing the birth of his children, getting to know them and seeing them change each day, seeing Beth become a wonderful mother and partner. It frightened him when he thought about everything he had to lose and sometimes he would wake up at night in a panic. Allister and Taren slept in the room with him and Beth and sometimes Khan would stand over their cribs for hours, staring at their perfect forms, willing them to grow and be healthy.

Upon returning to bed he would lay beside Beth, holding himself against the curves of her body, and her peaceful warmth would calm him. He had never loved her more, never felt closer to her. Life was almost perfect… almost.

Reconnecting with Beth sexually was proving to be a fun and fascinating, but completely frustrating process. He tried to come at the problem scientifically – it was the only way to keep his sanity as she fluctuated between timid, playful and passionate. Sometimes she just wanted to be held and other times she wanted to touch him and pleasure him but would not let him return the favor. More recently there were times when she wanted to kiss him – not affectionate, smiling kisses, but deep penetrating kisses that reached inside him and blocked out everything else until all he could see, feel, hear and smell was the way her body responded to him.

Even then she held him back and in those moments Khan felt so completely intoxicated by her that his mind entertained dark fantasies of overpowering her – restraining her and taking his time with her – he told himself that she would forgive him, that she would end up begging him to continue… but in those moments Khan removed himself from Beth, to cool down or provide himself some release. A few short hours of merciless pleasure were not worth the price of her trust.

Khan's thoughts returned to the present as Allister's breathing suddenly changed. Khan was so attuned to his children that he sensed it immediately. Looking down, he saw that Allister was awake, his eyes narrowed and focused as he took slow, silent breaths. He was listening to something.

Quieting Taren, Khan also heard Beth's voice drifting up on the breeze.

"Good boy," he said, nodding appreciatively to his son as he set Taren down beside him. "Watch your sister. Let me know if she goes too far."

Allister looked at Khan's face for a moment, his hazel-green eyes so solemn that Khan knew the infant probably understood even more than he guessed. Then Allister glared up at his sister, daring her to move.

Khan retrieved his new long-range phaser rifle from inside the front door and went to the top of the hill. He pointed the gun at the tree line and looked through its sights, magnifying Beth and the trespasser. The man looked huge beside her. He was young – maybe in his late twenties – with dark hair and a handsome, clean-shaven face. There was some kind of firearm slung over his shoulder. He stood far too close to Beth and she might as well be in her underwear with what she was wearing. They were ten miles from town and five miles from any public road, he had no business being there. How had he gotten past Khan's surveillance, and why was Beth encouraging him? She had her phaser, why was he still standing?

Khan pulled the trigger on his rifle. The beam of energy sailed over Beth's shoulder and hit the man square in the chest. He fell as Beth screamed in fright, ducking to the ground. It took her a moment to gather herself and turn to face Khan. He didn't need to look through the sights to see how furious she was.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Beth shouted, clambering up the hill. "Why did you shoot him?"

"Why were you talking to him?" he threw back.

"He's a local, Khan."

"He was trespassing."

"You can't shoot our neighbors!"

"I just stunned him." Khan looked at the lump of man lying in the grass. "You know him?"

She reached the top of the hill, trying to catch her breath. "I've seen him in town."

"Why is he here?" Under his concern she heard a note of jealousy. "Have you talked to him before?"

"No, he says he's moose hunting. He says he comes here every year."

Khan laughed bitterly. "He's not moose hunting."

"It'_s_ the right season."

"I can smell his cologne from here, Beth. It's not moose he's after."

She hesitated. "But I've never touched him."

"Do you think you have to touch a man to make him want you?" Khan growled, looking down her body. "I told you to put some clothes on."

She took a step back, hurt. "Why are you getting mad at me? I didn't invite him here."

"You shouldn't have talked to him. You should have stunned him yourself, or at least called for me."

"I was handling it. Now he's going to tell the authorities and more people will come." She didn't know what she'd do if anyone tried to break up her family. "I can't lose you," she said quietly, looking down.

Khan put a hand on her shoulder. She thought he was trying to reassure her but he just wanted her attention, wanted her to see how serious he was. He spread his fingers across her bare skin and his thumb brushed against her throat. Beth shivered, feeling his primal urge to control everything around him. "Then don't do it again."

* * *

Khan carried the hunter through the forest, back-tracking the man's footprints in the dirt and pine needles. He would find his vehicle and take him somewhere and... then what? If he was already affected by Beth's enhanced pheromones could he be successfully persuaded or threatened to leave her alone?

Khan heard footsteps just a moment before a voice spoke behind him.

"You're too close to town."

He turned to look at Beth's mother standing downwind of him. She was dressed in dark pants and a green camouflage jacket. Her honey-blonde hair was hidden under a dark wool cap.

"John, is it?" she asked. "That's how they know you in McGrath, but I remember Beth called you Khan."

He looked at the unconscious hunter over his shoulder. "Mrs. Walker…"

"Oh, don't worry, I was going to shoot him if you didn't. He was being too persistent." The corners of her mouth twitched in a reluctant smile. "But I doubt I could move him so easily."

He shifted the heavy man to a more comfortable position. "My name is Khan."

She nodded. "And I'm Deanna, not Mrs. Walker. I don't use that name anymore, and no one would call what I had with Beth's father a marriage." She approached cautiously and looked at the hunter's face. "I recognize him. First time I saw him was last week when Beth was floating toy boats in the stream with the babies."

Khan's throat constricted at the thought of this man watching Beth play with his children. "You've seen him before?"

"I've been around since June, keeping an eye on your private road. I see you set up a surveillance perimeter on your property but hunters and trackers are used to getting around them on foot. You should really monitor the road if you're going to live this close to other people."

Of course he should. Khan felt sick. He'd let this stranger get within fifty yards of his children, within six feet of Beth. And how had Deanna been in the vicinity for months without him realizing?

"I think he really was hunting that first day. He just stumbled on them and liked what he saw." She looked up at Khan curiously. "Where were you?"

"Most likely in my workshop, behind the house." He cursed, still admonishing himself. "I should have been with them."

"I'm surprised you can let Beth out of your sight at all."

"As I told you on the night we met, Deanna, I am different."

She nodded at the man slung over Khan's shoulder. "Maybe in some ways, and I am curious to see how long you can hold him like that, but I know where he left his van. We're not far." She turned and led Khan through the forest. "It's a problem you've got only one road in and out of this place," she said as they walked. "And mountains on three sides. If someone came for you, you'd be trapped."

"We have a ship," he assured her. He'd acquired a small jump ship before the children were born, to transport Beth to the hospital in McGrath when she went into labor.

Mrs. Walker shook her head. "So will anyone who means business, and I suspect you know a lot of people who mean business, Khan."

He nodded, thinking of all the enemies he'd made in the past few years. He also thought of the inbred Augments on Golana and what they would do if they ever learned about Beth and his children.

"Do you really want to risk your family in an air fight?" Deanna was asking. "No, the safest place to be hunted is on land you know better than anyone else. You should set up protected locations every few miles, stock them with weapons and supplies. Make sure Beth knows when and where to rendezvous with you, in case of a breach."

Khan was impressed. "We are relocating soon, Deanna. I acquired the land last winter, two hundred square miles out west. Construction was finished this month. I know Beth is concerned that when we leave here she will never be able to see you again."

"Please don't tell her I'm here," Deanna said quickly. "I don't want her trying to find me."

Khan did not understand. If he had been estranged from his children and suddenly found them again, nothing could keep him from them. "All right, but will you go ahead to the new house and assess the compound and the surrounding land? You know this kind of terrain and I think your insight would be valuable."

Deanna seemed surprised by this invitation. "Where is it?"

He gave her the longitude and latitude coordinates, which she understood immediately.

"I know the area," she said. "That's flooding territory by the Innoko River, but there's plenty of high ground. It's a good choice. You won't have any neighbors."

Which had also been Khan's assessment. "After we arrive, perhaps you could stay with us for a while, Deanna. I know Beth wants to spend time with you and you could get to know Allister and Taren."

She stopped walking. They had reached the hunter's beat up hover-van. "Taren is the girl?"

"Yes."

"She's growing very fast."

"She's very strong, and smart and brave."

"Not too brave, I hope. There's nothing wrong with running away sometimes."

The hover-van was unlocked and Khan opened the back doors. It was obvious the man had been living in the van, either permanently or on long hunting trips. There was a stained mattress on the floor, covered by a double sleeping bag. Had he planned on entertaining Beth in this claustrophobic heap? Khan threw him roughly down on the mattress.

"Let me take him," Deanna said, perhaps seeing the murderous look on Khan's face.

"No, I wouldn't leave you alone with him," Khan said, reaching over to search the hunter at the same time Deanna reached into the man's pocket. Their hands touched and Khan felt the pheromones in her skin.

It was similar to the reaction he had when he touched Beth, but it was also very different. He felt a quickening of his pulse and a heightened awareness of Deanna's presence, but it did not invoke the same pleasure or emotional excitement that touching Beth gave him. He realized that his body had adjusted to Beth over their months and experiences together. His love for her had enhanced her effect on him – deepened it and heightened it and made it part of the powerful connection they shared.

Deanna laughed, oblivious to his reaction. "I'll be fine. I'll talk to him. I've had this conversation many times before and I'll know if he's dangerous."

"You think he might not be a threat to Beth?" Khan asked.

"It's getting cold at night. I think he was just hoping to court her, to get a mate for the winter."

"She thinks I was wrong to stun him," Khan said, trying not to imagine Beth keeping this man warm in bed. He wouldn't be so handsome with a broken jaw.

Deanna shook her head. "No, you did the right thing. It just takes a second for things to get out of control. I protected Beth from this side of things when she was growing up, maybe too much. Sometimes stunning them isn't enough."

Khan nodded his agreement. He felt incredible respect and gratitude towards Deanna, for the things she'd done to protect Beth, as well as herself. He hated to think that she was still in danger, still felt the need to hide after so many years. He wanted to help her, if she would let him.

* * *

**Okay, apparently I can't just write a nice neat epilogue :) I want to see them in the new home Khan had built so there will be a Part 2. I hope it was fun getting to know Allister and Taren, and seeing Khan bonding with his children, and Beth's mom. Thanks again for reading and hanging in there!**


	54. Chapter 54

**Caution: adult content, strong sexual descriptions. Normally I would say to skip ahead to the next chapter but there will be no more chapters in this story ****:( **

**Hope it does not shock anyone's modesty too much!**

**Warning: this chapter is the longest yet - maybe too long but hopefully it's just extra goodness - stay hydrated!**

* * *

**Epilogue – Part 2 of 2**

It was not the fortress Beth had expected. There were no ramparts or watch towers, no bastions or batteries. Her new home was an elegant chalet rising up between ancient pines on a hillside that overlooked the winding Innoko River. With its weathered stone walls, wooden verandahs and eaves, and beautiful slate roof ranging in color from gray and teal to burnished red and purple, the house looked like part of the forest, like it had stood there for hundreds of years.

They approached on foot from a landing site down the hill, Khan carrying Taren on his shoulders, Beth with Allister in a sling across her chest. She saw Khan watching her face for her reaction. She turned to him, smiling. "I love it," she assured him. "It's beautiful."

It was a cool, crisp morning in late September and Khan had given Beth his navy wool jacket to wear over her black wraparound sweater and gray wool skirt. She pulled the jacket closed to keep Allister warm and saw him looking around curiously at their new surroundings. "What do you think?" she asked the baby, holding him so he could see the house. "Do you like it?"

His intelligent eyes focused on it as his mouth tensed up, his tiny tongue pressing against his top gums. "Da," he said, loudly and clearly.

Beth gasped. "Was that a word?" she asked Khan.

"Only if you're teaching him Russian," he said, but she could hear the surprise in his voice.

Beth rolled her eyes. "He's not speaking Russian, he's trying to say _Dad_. He knows you built this for us."

"Da," Allister said again, and either way it was a confirmation.

Khan looked down at his son in fascination, stroking the baby's soft dark hair away from his forehead.

"What about you, Taren?" Beth asked, jiggling one of the little girl's legs draped over Khan's shoulder. "Do you like our new house?"

Taren clapped enthusiastically, almost falling sideways, and then went back to pulling her father's hair.

"Me too," Beth said. "Khan, when you showed me your plans I thought we'd be living in a metal box."

He looked up at the house as well. "That's essentially what it is. I created a lightweight duranium alloy for the exterior walls. It's stronger than the hull of a starship," he added smugly. "The stone façade and all the wood and the garden are all for you. I remember your reaction to the original design; it was less than enthusiastic."

Beth laughed and kissed him. "It was a bit bleak." She leaned against his side as he told her about their new home.

"It's actually three attached structures – one main house with eight bedrooms and two guest houses."

Beth felt a nervous excitement as she thought of the eight bedrooms and what would be required to fill them. "Guest houses?" she asked to distract herself. Who could they possibly have as a guest?

"The rest is underground," he continued. "A shelter, storage, my workshop, a lab for you, tunnels going up the hill, down to the landing site and all the way to the river. There's more I want to show you in the forest."

But for now he led the way to the large double doors at the front of the house. They looked like they were made of black, hammered iron, overlaid with an intricate design of cast iron vines and flowers. When he reached them they opened automatically, silently sliding into the stone walls. "It's programmed to recognize all of us," he said. "If we're in lockdown there's a panel here." He pointed to a keypad at the side of the door. "You should pick your own codes – one to unlock the doors, another to raise an alarm."

"Okay," Beth said, wondering if he would follow the old custom of picking her up and carrying her across the threshold, but a moment later he walked through the front door and she followed him inside.

She was immediately enveloped by the warm aroma of cardamom, aniseed and cloves. "It smells like my childhood," she said, amazed. "My mother used to love Eastern spices, especially in the winter. She said it helped her pretend she was somewhere warm."

She saw Khan smile, more to himself than at what she'd said. "Do you want to start in the kitchen?" he asked.

He led her on a tour of the downstairs rooms and Beth began to appreciate just how much care and thought Khan had put into every detail, from her favorite herbs growing in planters by the kitchen windows to pictures boxes that lined the walls, containing insects, leaves and pressed flowers.

She recognized them instantly. "These are all from Centula," she marveled, touching the glass casing in front of a black cicada shell. "How is that possible?"

Khan smiled, watching her as she moved to the next box. It contained a series of red moths arranged by size. "They were gathered by Starfleet on the science expedition before yours," he explained. "I tracked down the lead science officer and… convinced him to share his collection."

Beth nodded, overwhelmed by the memories of her time on Centula with Khan. "They're perfect," she said, turning into him to hide her tears, leaning against his chest for a minute.

In the study she recognized the old armchair from her cottage. He had brought it on one of his earlier solo trips and positioned it in front of the fireplace. Beth ran her hand over the back of the chair, feeling the old leather, smoothing the quilt. She remembered the snowy night Khan had returned to her, when they'd made love and drifted in and out of sleep wrapped around each other, making love three more times before morning with him never pulling out of her once. There had been many times since that night when they'd coupled and slept in the same armchair and they ran like a movie through Beth's mind. It wasn't until Allister started squirming uncomfortably in his sling that she returned to the moment.

"He's hungry," she said, looking up at Khan.

He was cradling a sleepy Taren in his arms, watching her. His look was curious and intense, he must have guessed what she'd been thinking about.

Beth blushed. "You said there was a nursery?"

* * *

When the children were both fed and down for their nap, Khan showed Beth the new master bedroom. It was warm and light, with old faded wood paneling and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river and mountains beyond. In the center of the room was a massive bed the size of two standard queens. It was framed in drift wood Khan had recovered from the river and laying over the white cotton sheets was a brown and cream fur blanket he had acquired from a native trapper in McGrath.

To Khan's surprise Beth went to the bed without a word and sat on the blanket, stroking it with her hands, spreading her fingers through the soft fur. There was something sensual about that gesture that caught his attention more than anything else. He suddenly found himself thinking about all the athletic things he could do with her on such a large bed. He was about to force himself to think of something else when he saw Beth's hands move from the bedspread to the hem of her gray wool skirt. She fidgeted with it for a while, folding it upwards into pleats as Khan just watched, transfixed.

It had been seventeen weeks and two days since he'd been inside her, fourteen weeks since he'd seen her completely naked. Just in the past week they'd gone further than they had since the pregnancy – one night after dinner Beth had approached him in the kitchen and unbuckled his pants without saying a word. She'd kissed a slow trail down his chest and stomach, taking his neglected member in her hands. Her lips and tongue had moved lovingly over his cock, teasing him with their velvety caresses before she sucked him deep into her warm, wet mouth.

The pleasure of his orgasm had been almost painful as Beth hungrily swallowed his seed, but not as painful as the following days when she seemed embarrassed by her actions and held him at a distance. At least Khan was beginning to understand; the only time she seemed completely at ease with him was when they were with the children. Now that she was a mother, was that the only way she saw herself? Did she think she could no longer be his mate?

Khan's body disagreed vehemently. Encouraged by her recent attention, it craved Beth more than ever, and his thoughts were even harder to control. He saw sex in almost everything she did, in almost every look she gave him.

But this was different. She _was_ looking at him with heavy eyes and a shy, inviting smile. Her hands _were_ inching her skirt higher up her legs. Khan could see the tops of her thick black stockings and the soft, pale skin of her thighs. Next was a triangle of white cotton as she pulled her skirt high enough to reveal her panties. He dared not move, in case he interrupted her.

"I love you so much, Khan," she said quietly. "I think I'd like to try to be with you."

He nodded almost imperceptibly, staring between her legs. He didn't think he'd ever felt more tightly wound. "There will be no trying," he promised her. "Once I start, I won't be able to stop."

She pressed her lips together in a thin, nervous line and laid back on the bed, parting her knees. Khan let out a low, rasping noise as her skirt fell completely away. It was like the universe had opened up before him. He even heard music.

So did Beth. She sat up quickly, her legs snapping shut. "What was that?"

"What…" Khan continued staring, his mind struggling to comprehend what had just happened. He heard the chiming music again and suddenly realized what it was.

"Fuck!" he roared.

Beth jumped at his outburst and slid off the bed.

"Wait," Khan said, reaching out a hand to stop her, but he was too late. He could just stand there, gaping at the spot on the bed where she had lain just a moment ago, her legs and heart open, offering herself to him. "Beth."

She was looking around the room for the source of the music. It chimed again and she turned to him with confusion. "Is that… a doorbell?"

"Beth," he said again.

"Who is it?" she asked, half panicked, half angry. She went to the window and looked down at the front of the house, trying to see who might be there. Then she saw the door to the verandah and she pulled on the handle, yanking it hard. "How does this open?" she demanded. Khan went to her but she stepped back, looking in the direction of the nursery. "Who else knows we're here?"

"It's okay, Beth," Khan told her soothingly. "It's just your mother. It's Deanna."

For a moment he thought he saw her relax, but apparently it was just the calm before the storm. "Deanna?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as they searched his face. Khan couldn't tell what she was looking for. "What is _Deanna_ doing here?"

"I asked her to come," he said.

"When?"

"Three weeks ago." The moment he said it Khan realized he'd made a mistake. He should have told Beth about Deanna on the first day he'd met her in the forest. No secret – no matter how well intentioned – was worth keeping if it made Beth look at him with such betrayal. "I'm sorry…"

"You've been talking to my Mom this whole time?" she asked. "You knew I was worried, why didn't you tell me?"

"Deanna asked me not to say anything. She said she wasn't ready to see you yet."

"Oh, but she was ready to see _you_? She shot you, almost crippled you, and now it's… Deanna?!" Beth shouted the name and there was a disturbed cry from the nursery. Allister had woken up. She seemed not to hear. "And every time you've come out here on your own, has she been with you?"

"She's been helping me test the security system," Khan admitted. "Beth, are you jealous?" He laughed and instantly regretted it.

"Why not?" she asked, glaring. "It would explain how you've been so patient with me in bed."

"You expected me to force you?" Khan was offended.

"And she's got the same anomaly as me – that's what you Augments like, isn't it? It's probably even stronger with her."

"Beth!" Khan was amazed how much her words could hurt him. How could she question his devotion and reduce his feelings for her down to a genetic fluke?

The doorbell rang a third time and Taren joined in her brother's crying.

"Hurry up, you don't want to keep Deanna waiting," Beth said sarcastically and Khan wanted to slap her.

"She's not here to see me."

He walked past her to the nursery, closing the door and shutting her out.

* * *

Beth swallowed hard, hating herself. She had been so irrational, so cold. She went to the nursery door and knocked gently. "Khan?"

Allister stopped crying at the sound of her voice but Taren continued wailing. From the way her cries wavered Beth could tell Khan was holding her and bouncing her gently up and down. She wanted to go to him, but also didn't want to face him after the cruel things she'd said. "Khan, I'm sorry."

As she reached the bottom of the stairs Beth began to feel a different set of nerves in her stomach. The last time she'd seen her mother she'd pulled a gun on her and practically chased her out of the house. But when she opened the front door, it was to a different woman than the one she'd seen that December night.

Gone were the patched and bulky clothes, the hunched shoulders, the desperate eyes; Beth saw the mother that she remembered standing in front of her.

Deanna was dressed in sturdy denim overalls with a black turtleneck shirt underneath. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail. She didn't look close to her fifty-or-so years of age. Again, Beth felt an irrational jealousy that her mother had spent time alone with Khan, but this time she was also jealous that Khan had managed to forge a kind of trust with her mother.

"Hi, Beth." Deanna looked just as anxious as Beth felt. "I saw your ship down the hill. I knew you were arriving today."

Beth nodded stiffly. "Khan told me you'd been here. I'm surprised he didn't program you into the front door."

"He did," Deanna said. "But it's not my house. I wouldn't presume…" Her voice petered out and she looked around awkwardly. "I've been staying next door for two weeks." She pointed to the chalet attached on the left. "It's like a dream."

Beth guessed that after being on the run for so many years, it was probably rare for her mother to have a solid roof over her head, let alone a roof made of duranium alloy. "Do you want to come in?" she asked.

"Thanks." Deanna stepped across the threshold and seemed to hesitate beside Beth. She put an awkward arm around her daughter's shoulders.

It wasn't really a hug, but the contact overwhelmed Beth for the few seconds that it lasted. Her eyes filled with tears, but rather than lean into her mother's embrace, she turned away, embarrassed.

Deanna gave her time to collect herself. "Do you want some coffee?" she asked sensitively.

Beth shook her head, taking a deep breath before facing her mother. "No, I'm nursing."

"How about hot chocolate?"

She followed Deanna to the kitchen and the room was suddenly transformed by her mother's presence. Beth might as well have been a teenager again, sitting at the kitchen table working on her calculus homework while her mother prepared dinner.

The image was shattered, however, when Deanna pushed a few buttons and pulled a steaming mug of hot chocolate out of the replicator embedded in the wall. "I never thought I would like using one of these things," she said, setting the mug down in front of Beth. "But they've come a long way since the one we used to have."

Beth smiled. The cocoa was the perfect shade of chocolate, with three half-melted marshmallows floating on the top. "We never had a replicator," she said, wrapping her fingers around the mug. It was the perfect temperature for cradling in her hands.

"No, I don't mean you and me. This was before you were born." Deanna replicated herself a black coffee and buttered wheat toast and sat at the table across from Beth.

Beth sipped the hot chocolate, watching her mother. "You must have been rich, hardly anyone had replicators back then."

Deanna laughed, dipping her toast in the coffee. "What, back in the dark ages? Your father is very good at getting whatever he wants."

"_Is_?" Beth asked. She was surprised to hear her mother talk of her father in the present tense. "You think he's still alive?"

Deanna nodded, laughing bitterly. "I know he is. He's quite easy to keep track of these days."

"What do you mean? Have I heard of him? Who is he?"

Was her father famous?

There was a knock and Beth looked up to see Khan standing in the doorway with Allister and Taren in his arms.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said, stepping inside.

Beth jumped out of her chair. "No, I'm sorry," she said, going to him.

He kissed the top of her head, smiling softly. "Allister was worried about you," he said, handing him to her. She thought Allister looked more angry than worried as he glowered up at her, and he had every right to be after her earlier performance. She took back her seat at the table and kissed the top of his head. "I'm sorry, Allister."

He seemed somewhat placated and his hazel-green eyes swiveled to focus on his grandmother instead. He looked from Deanna to Beth and back to Deanna.

"He sees the resemblance," Khan deduced. He smiled at Deanna holding out her granddaughter. "This is Taren."

"May I hold her?" Deanna asked, reaching out her arms.

Khan looked for Beth's consent before handing their daughter to Deanna. Taren didn't seem to mind being held by a stranger. She reached out a tiny hand and tugged forcefully on the bib of Deanna's overalls, trying to pull it down.

Deanna laughed, "Sorry, I can't feed you, little one."

"Dip your toast in the hot chocolate and let her gum it," Beth said, pushing her mug across the table. Taren had never had chocolate before, but it was a grandmother's duty to spoil her grandchildren. "You'll be her favorite person in the world."

Khan kissed Taren's cheek and stole a slice of toast for himself. He went to Beth and Allister and kissed them as well. "I'll bring in the rest of our things from the ship."

When he was gone Deanna looked seriously at Beth. "What were you apologizing for?"

Beth shrugged, rocking Allister slowly. "We had a fight and I said some things I didn't mean."

"How did he react?"

"He was hurt, of course. He never hits me and he hardly yells, if that's what you're asking."

"Do you fight a lot?"

"Not really." Beth smiled. "He usually lets me have my way."

Deanna was unimpressed. "That could be a manipulation, Beth. He lets you have your way with the little things so you'll accept it when he forces big things on you."

"That's not what he's doing," Beth said. "And I've stood up to him plenty of times." She wasn't about to tell her mother that included times when Khan was technically holding her prisoner.

Deanna seemed somewhat satisfied. "Good," she said, feeding Taren the chocolate-soaked toast.

"Is that the way my father was?" Beth asked. "If you won't tell me who he is, will you tell me what he was like?"

Deanna held Taren closer, bending her head down to kiss the little girl's strawberry blonde hair. "Your daughter's hair is the same color as my sister's," she said.

"You have a…?" Beth began.

"She's dead." The control required to say the words revealed the depth of pain behind them.

Beth glanced down at Allister, checking that he was asleep. She suspected that the little boy already understood more than he probably should. "What happened?"

"Emma and I were runaways. We'd been on our own for two years when I met your father. I was sixteen and Emma was fourteen."

"But you were still kids when you ran away," Beth calculated. "Why?"

"Why do you think?" Deanna asked bitterly. "When I hit puberty everything changed. It wasn't safe at home anymore."

"Who hurt you…?" Beth began, but then she remembered the snowy night her mother had tried to rescue her from Khan. She'd promised that Khan would hurt her, and her daughters. "Your father?" Beth asked, horrified.

Deanna nodded. "He was tortured about it, said he couldn't help himself. If he was stronger he would have committed suicide," she said with disdain. "Then Emma turned twelve - almost the same age I had been when it started. I took her and we just left home one day. We didn't look back. Two years later I met your father. I thought he was different. I thought I loved him. I thought he was going to save me, and Emma too."

"What happened?"

"He was the best thing that ever happened to me, and then suddenly he was the worst. The more I rebelled the worse he got. For a while he used Emma to control me and then he killed her to punish me when we tried to leave. When I found out I was pregnant with you I knew I couldn't stay."

Beth nodded, finally understanding. "Please tell me who he is." She would find a way to hurt him.

"No," Deanna said flatly. "I know you want him punished, but it's impossible. I think I hurt him as much as anyone could when I finally escaped, and in over thirty years he's never gotten over it."

* * *

That afternoon Beth shared her mother's story with Khan as he showed her the pine forest. Deanna stayed behind in her guest house, bonding with her grandchildren.

"You have to promise me you'll let it go," Khan told Beth seriously as they walked hand in hand up the hill. "I don't think your mother would exaggerate how dangerous your father is."

"Could you let it go if you were me?"

"No," he said honestly. "But I'll make a deal with you, Beth."

She stopped walking and looked up at him. "What deal?"

"If you promise you'll let it go, I promise I won't."

He kissed her hand and they continued winding a path between the tall pines and limestone rocks. Khan pointed out a series of small waterfalls spilling down a creek bed.

"We should cross here," he said when they reached a narrowing of the creek. "There's something I want to show you."

The water was only a few inches deep but Khan insisted on carrying Beth across. He picked her up in his arms, holding her tight against his chest as he stepped deftly from rock to rock. When he reached the other side he smiled and kissed her, not putting her down.

Beth wrapped an arm around his neck, snuggling into him, loving his scent mixed with the smells of the forest. This was truly where they belonged.

"It's just over here," he told her, carrying her across mossy ground towards a rocky outcrop.

She didn't see the cave entrance until they were standing in the narrow opening, hidden behind a large limestone boulder.

"I found it two weeks ago," he said, carrying her across the threshold. "I didn't tell Deanna. It's too special."

Beth knew exactly what he meant. She thought of their cave on Centula and how it had been their first home together. She looked around at the darkness as Khan took her deeper into the cave. He seemed to have no hesitation as he navigated away from the daylight, moving easily across uneven ground. "I can't see," she told him, knowing his vision was much more sensitive than hers.

"Just through here," he assured her, his deep voice echoing off the walls. Beth shivered as the air cooled, glad to have his warmth wrapped around her.

Up ahead she saw faint reflections of light and Khan walked towards them, taking her into another cavern off the main chamber.

The yellow light was coming from a small lantern on the ground. It revealed a medium-sized chamber, a bit smaller than the cavern on Centula.

"I hear water," Beth said, looking around. There was no waterfall in the cave – that would have been too perfect.

"There's a hot spring," Khan told her. "You can feel it in the rocks over here."

He took her towards the lantern and set her down on a low shelf of rock. Beth put her hand on its smooth surface, feeling warmth radiating through it. Khan sat beside her, just as warm and radiant. He smiled at her, touching her face, pushing her hair aside as he leaned in to kiss her.

"I love you," he said quietly, his voice heavy with emotion.

Beth raised her hands to his face, stroking his jaw and running a thumb over his lips before kissing them again. "I love you, too. Thank you for bringing me here."

They kissed again, and maybe it was being truly alone with Khan for the first time in months, or maybe it was just remembering their time together on Centula and what they'd both gone through to be together, but Beth did not feel self-conscious or uncomfortable as Khan's tongue pressed questioningly against her lips.

She parted them willingly, feeling him relax against her as his tongue slipped into her mouth. It searched for hers, curling around her top teeth. Beth took his hand, placing it on her chest. He groaned with a kind of relief, leaning over her, squeezing and kneading her breast.

Beth pulled her jacket off and began working on the knot fastening her black wraparound sweater. Khan leaned back to watch, removing his own jacket, his face tense with anticipation. "Just a moment," she started to say, but he was done waiting.

He pushed her hands aside and tore the fabric, pulling the sweater down her shoulders. He leaned in and breathed deeply against her neck, kissing it and licking up to her ear, biting gently.

His breath was hot on her face as he kissed her again. His hands were impatient as they pulled at her bra, snapping and breaking the little hooks in his hurry to get it off her. When she was topless he stared for a moment. Beth could feel the excitement emanating from him as he reached out with both hands, his fingers tracing soft circles around her pink, swollen nipples. He seemed fascinated by them as he brushed them lightly, teasing them, making them tight with pleasure.

Beth leaned back on her hands, arching herself up to him. It felt so good, and made him so happy - why had she ever been anxious about him touching her?

Then Khan lay her back, bending over her chest. "Careful," she said as his lips closed around her left nipple. It was sensitive from nursing but as Khan sucked it tenderly and used his tongue to massage it in his mouth Beth felt a confusing mix of pleasure and embarrassment as she realized he was suckling milk from her breast.

"Ohhh," she sighed as he kissed his way across to her other breast and his hand slid down over her skirt. It came up between her legs and his fingers traced along the tops of her stockings. As they brushed against the smooth skin of her thighs Beth felt her hips rise involuntarily to meet his touch.

Khan pulled his mouth from her breast to look into her face as his fingers moved over her panties, and then underneath the thin cotton, delving into her warm wetness. His eyes closed for a moment as he focused on the way he touched her and the way she felt. When they opened again Beth saw determination in his desire and his touch became firmer, his kisses more urgent as they trailed down her ribs.

He pushed her gray skirt up, kissing her stomach beneath it, kissing the waistband of her white panties before taking them in his teeth. With a growl and a twist of his head he ripped them off her, dropping them on the rock.

Beth gasped when he touched her again, his fingers spreading the outer lips of her sex so he could see her swollen clitoris. He leaned forward to kiss it and she moaned loudly, spreading her legs wide for him as he began to lick her slowly.

Khan's tongue stroked lovingly along the folds of her sex. His right hand moved down and he pushed one finger inside her, and then a second. He moved them in and out of her as his tongue increased its pressure on her clitoris, flicking over it again and again as he sucked it gently, tugging on it with his lips.

Beth ran her fingers through Khan's dark hair as he licked her with an unrelenting rhythm. "I'm close," she told him breathlessly, squeezing her eyes shut and concentrating on the swollen slipperiness of the pleasure he was giving her.

She felt his pace increase, felt any gentleness fall away as his tongue rasped across her sensitive skin. He pushed her closer and closer as an overwhelming pressure built deep within her core. "Don't stop," she begged, wrapping her legs around his neck to hold him in place. His fingers curled up as they slid in and out of her, faster and faster. "Don't stop. Please don't... Oh!"

The pleasure crashed through her as she came, her body shaking violently. Khan held her tight, his mouth locked onto her, his fingers deep inside her as she spasmed uncontrollably around them.

* * *

He stayed between her legs until she stopped trembling. He licked the juices from her thighs and lapped all around her sex as she tried to catch her breath. Only when he felt her melt against his hands did Khan release her, pushing himself up to kneel over her, wiping her wetness from his face with the back of his sleeve.

He smiled down at Beth's nakedness, so open and inviting. She was more beautiful than she'd ever been, tasted even better than he remembered, felt even softer when he touched her.

Khan pulled his shirt off over his head and unbuttoned his pants, pushing them down his hips. He was so hard for her that he didn't think it was possible to be any more aroused, but then he leaned over her and felt the wet heat of her entrance against the head of his cock.

"I love you, Khan," she whispered and he pushed himself inside her, slow and steady, burying himself her warmth.

"Fuck... Beth."

He held himself deep within her, memorizing the way she stared up at him with such love and desire and acceptance. This was what he had missed the most about making love with Beth - the direct connection they shared at this most intimate of moments. When he began to move inside her he knew he wouldn't last long. She felt so good and so warm and it was just too much, after so long without her, after so much pent up desire always just under the surface whenever he'd touched her or looked at her or even just heard her come into the room.

He raised himself up on his hands so he could look down at her body. Locking his arms, he began to thrust deep inside her, harder and faster as she held onto him. She rolled her head back, gasping and crying out each time he pushed his hard cock into her. Her legs wrapped around his waist, trying to stop him whenever he pulled it out again.

"Cum inside me, Khan," she said, her hips matching him stroke for stroke. She squeezed herself around his cock, gripping him so tightly. He couldn't think, couldn't control himself, it felt like she was burning. "I want your cum inside me."

Her words were all it took and between the shockwaves of pleasure he thought about coating her insides with his seed, maybe getting her pregnant again, maybe having her belly round and swollen again.

He fell on top of her, crying out, holding himself against her as he came.

* * *

They lay together for a long time on the warm rock. Beth was on her back, her jacket scrunched under her head like a pillow. She stroked the back of Khan's neck as he lay on his side, one hand propping up his head, his other hand roaming over her body, unable to stop touching her.

"Would you believe me if I told you I didn't bring you here for this?" he asked, tracing his fingers along her collarbone.

Beth smiled lazily. "Not really."

He turned his head for a moment, reaching for something on the rock behind him. It was a small blanket and he lay it on her bare stomach. "Remember this?"

Beth looked down at it, feeling the worn fibers, seeing red earth caked into its seams. It was the small blanket she had offered Khan in the cave in Centula, so, so long ago. "You kept it?" she asked, incredulously. "After everything that happened, _this_ made it off the planet?"

Khan laughed, the sound throaty and warm. He took the blanket from her, dropping it on the ground beside the rock.

"Khan," she said as he climbed over her and knelt on the blanket. "I need to rest."

She sat up and he took her hands, kissing them. "No, not that," he said, chuckling again. "I want to give you something."

He picked his jacket up off the ground and pulled a small metal box out of its pocket. "I got something else that they brought back from Centula on that earlier science expedition. Do you remember the crystals that were embedded in the cave walls in Centula? They seemed to glow like stars when you shone a light on them?"

Beth nodded, looking at the box as he opened it. There was a ring inside, a roughly cut golden crystal embedded in a simple silver band. "Oh, Khan," she whispered. It was beautiful. As she stared at it the crystal began to glow. "It's like the orb," she said. "The amplification orb."

"The orb was native to Centula," he told her. "This was cut from the same rock."

Khan extracted the ring from the box and took Beth's left hand. "I know our new identities say we're married, but I wanted to make a vow to you." He slipped the ring on her finger and his face looked earnest and tender in its soft light. "I am yours, Beth. Husband, lover, father to your children, protector, defender, friend. Whatever you want from me, I swear it is yours, for the rest of my life."

He kissed the ring on her finger and held her hand in his, so strong and warm.

"Khan." He tilted his face up and Beth stroked his cheek, seeing tears in his eyes. How was it possible that such a man belonged to her?

"I swear that I will never leave you," she said. "And I will never try to hurt you, and I will love you for the rest of my life. I love the family you gave me, and the home you built for me. You have given me so much and I am yours. Taren and Allister and I are yours, and you are ours. You will never be alone again."

He smiled at her and Beth kissed him, sliding off the rock to straddle him, pressing herself against him. He moaned appreciatively as her kisses continued down his neck, but pulled back, looking at her in surprise.

"I thought you had to rest?"

Beth smiled, loving him so much, needing him in every possible way. "We have the rest of our lives to rest."

* * *

**Endings are hard! But I hope this felt right, and was satisfying but still left the door open for future adventures.**

**If you would like more updates and one-shots for Beth and Khan, please check out my new story: Extras - The Anomaly**

**Please review or PM me if you made it all the way to the end. I know it's hard to keep up on reading with all the great stories on this site so I'm sure I lost lots of people, but I would love to hear from you if you finished the story, especially if you enjoyed it or have questions :) **

**As always, thank you for reading, thank you for your patience, thank you for all the great feedback, follows and favs. **

**This was my first fan fiction and posting chapter to chapter is kind of like writing without a net :) but I've loved the experience and ****I do plan to write more fan fiction, including further (probably shorter!) adventures with Khan and Beth and company. I will also have another go at writing an original novel and will update my profile with any news on that. **

**Before any of that I want to make edits to a few chapters in this story, so if you see updates for The Anomaly in the next week or so, it's just me tidying up a bit before marking it complete. This is the last new chapter - no more cliff hangers, no more plot twists :)**

**It's been fun. Thank you, and happy reading!**

**xo**


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